2020 is on pace to be one of the hottest years on record

2020 is on pace to be among the hottest years on record, and last month was tied with 2016 for the second-warmest July, per NOAA data.

Why it matters: It shows the march of human-induced global warming.

The big picture: "The year-to-date global land and ocean surface temperature was the second highest in the 141-year record at 1.89°F (1.05°C) above the 20th-century average of 56.9°F (13.8°C)," the agency said.

Threat level: "[T]he year 2020 is very likely to rank among the five warmest years on record," their monthly report notes.

• The five warmest to date have all occurred in the last decade; nine of the 10 warmest have been this century (the other was in 1998).