Global and regional climate in 2015

Abstract

This article presents some of the events of 2015, placing them in the long-term climate context. 2015 was the warmest year on record at the surface of the earth. A strong El Niño, comparable in strength to the 1997/1998 El Niño, developed during the year and affected weather in many places. Heat waves affected large areas of Europe throughout the summer, and there were deadly heat waves in India and Pakistan in May and June. December in the UK was record warm and record wet.