According to the NOAA GISS global instrumental record for temperatures (1880 to the present), since 2000 (inclusively) we have had

• 2002 and 2003 ties for first and second warmest January. Januray 2014 was the fourth warmest, 2005 the fifth warmest.
• February 2010 was the third warmest Feburary, and 2002 had the fourth warmest February.
• March 2002 was the warmest, 2012 was the second warmest. March 2014 was the fourth warmest.
• April 2010 was the warmest on record, April 2014 the second warmest.
• We are still waiting for the data on May 2014, but during this time the warmest May on record occurred in 2010, and the second warmest in 2012.
• The warmest and second warmest months during this period were recorded for June, July, August, September, October, November, and December.
• With an impending El Niño, of as yet undetermined strength (and, actually, not 100% certain to occur) we might expect some of the remaining months for 2014 to be in the top two or three rankings for warmest over the entire instrumental record.
• ADDED: May 2014 was the hottest May on record.

May temperatures should be available over the next week or so.

So far, for this period, 2010 has been the warmest year on record. 2005 has been the second warmest year on record. 2007 has been the third warmest year on record. 2002 has been the fourt warmest year on record. Last year, 2013, was the sixth warmest and 2003 the seventh. Of the 14 most recent full years, nine have been in the top ten.

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