April Was the 400th Consecutive Month of Above-Average Temps

April 2018 was the 400th “consecutive month with above-average temperatures” on Earth, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday. December 1984 was the last month the planet had below-average temperatures, and this past April was the third-warmest April ever to be recorded globally, USA Today reports. Europe had its warmest April on record this year, and Australia had its second-warmest. North America saw a 2.2 degree dip this past month, making this year the “13th-coldest April” recorded. Carbon dioxide levels also hit another milestone, with the gas reaching its “highest level in recorded history at 410 parts per million” this past month. “The thing that really matters is that, by whatever metric, we've spent every month for several decades on the warm side of any reasonable,” NOAA climate scientist Deke Arndt said.