September 2016 was the hottest on record

September 2016 is turning out to be the hottest month ever in the last 136 years, for which temperature data is available, reports 'The Independent' citing US air and space agency NASA.

According to NASA, September  2014 was until now the hottest month.

However Sep 2016 was only 0.004 degrees warmer than the same month two years ago, the NASA date indicated.

'The Independent' reported Sep 2016 was 0.91 degrees warmer than average monthly temperatures between 1951 and 1980.

However, monthly ranking of temperatures are sensitive to change.

Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, said: “Monthly rankings are sensitive to updates in the record, and our latest update to mid-winter readings from the South Pole has changed the ranking for June.

“We continue to stress that while monthly rankings are newsworthy, they are not nearly as important as long-term trends.”

If current trends continue, 2016 is set to become the warmest year on record.

NASA calculates their global average temperature by using publicly available information from about 6,300 weather stations and agencies across the world.

Sea temperatures are included in the calculations using ships and buoys.

Using these methods NASA has established records as far back as the 1800s.

There were not enough readings to calculate a global average before that time.

Scientists say rising global temperatures are a result of climate change.

Scientists have traced the increasing prevalence of forest fires, drought and major storms to the phenomenon, says 'The Independent .'