Agence France-Presse: Last month was the hottest August on record for global average temperatures over land and ocean surfaces, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.
If the trend continues, 2014 could set records for planet-wide heat, raising fresh alarm at the pace of global warming and the burning of fossil fuels.
The month's temperature was 1.35 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average, the agency said in its monthly climate report.
"It was the largest departure from...