The first nine months of 2015 have been the hottest ever documented, reported the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Wednesday. Temperatures for this past September outdid the record set in 2014.

"September's high temperature was also the greatest rise above average for any month in the 136-year historical record, surpassing the previous record set in both February and March this year by 0.02 Fahrenheit (0.01 Celsius)," announced NOAA in its monthly report.

Seven out of the nine months of 2015 surpassed previous averages, only January and April did not break records, according to the report, which is based on average global temperatures across both land and sea surfaces.

Parts of North and South America as well as northeastern Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia experienced unusually high temperatures last month. Despite warmer averages worldwide, NOAA said Central Asia, Spain and Britain experienced unexpectedly cooler temperatures.

"England and Wales each observed their coolest September since 1994," noted NOAA, adding that "a large patch in the Atlantic Ocean south of Greenland remained much cooler than average."

Ocean temperatures usually associated with El Nino raised the sea surface temperature in September to 1.46 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th century average of 61.1 degrees Fahrenheit (16.2 degrees Celsius).

A highly unlikely stretch of cold temperatures could be the only thing which would keep 2015 from being the hottest year in modern times, according to NOAA climate scientists.

rs/bw (AP, AFP)