"Scientists' Annual Physical Of Planet: 'Earth's Fever Rises'"

"WASHINGTON — Earth's fever got worse last year, breaking dozens of climate records, scientists said in a massive report nicknamed the annual physical for the planet.

Soon after 2015 ended, it was proclaimed the hottest on record . The new report shows the broad extent of other records and near-records on the planet's climatic health. Those include record heat energy absorbed by the oceans and lowest groundwater storage levels globally, according to Tuesday's report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

'I think the time to call the doctor was years ago,' NOAA climate monitoring chief Deke Arndt, co-editor of the report, said in an email. 'We are awash in multiple symptoms.'

The 2015 State of the Climate report examined 50 different aspects of climate , including dramatic melting of Arctic sea ice and glaciers worldwide. A dozen different nations set hottest year records, including Russia and China. South Africa had the hottest temperature ever recorded in the month of October: 119.1 degrees Fahrenheit (48.4 degrees Celsius)."

Seth Borenstein reports for the Associated Press August 2, 2016.

SEE ALSO:

"Land And Sea Warmest In 2015: 'State Of The Climate' Report" (Reuters)

"The 10 Most Startling Facts About Climate In 2015 — The Warmest Year On Record" (Washington Post)