Earth sets NINTH straight monthly temperature record as Arctic sea ice dips to its lowest level ever (2)

January's average global temperature was a record 55.5°F (13°C), easily beating the old January record set in 2007, according to NOAA. Records go back to 1880.

There were colder-than-normal patches in parts of the US, Europe and Asia in January.

But they were overwhelmed by incredible 'off our chart' warming in the Arctic region, according to NOAA climate scientist Jessica Blunden.

These graphs show average sea level pressure and air temperature anomalies at 925 millibars (about 3,000 feet above sea level) for January 2016

Arctic sea ice extent as of February 3, 2016, along with daily ice extent data for four previous years. 2015 to 2016 is shown in blue, 2014 to 2015 in green, 2013 to 2014 in orange, 2012 to 2011 in brown, and 2011 to 2012 in purple. The 1981 to 2010 average is in dark gray

Siberia, northwest Canada, and a lot of Alaska were at least 9°F warmer than normal, she said.

That heat was why there was record low sea ice in the Arctic for this time of year, when sea ice grows, Blunden said.

January Arctic sea ice averaged only 5.2 million square miles in January, which is 90,000 square miles below the previous record set in 2011, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

It's also 402,000 square miles — about the size of Texas and New Mexico, combined — less than the 30-year normal.

The string of nine consecutive record hot months matches June 1997 to February 1998, which was the last time Earth had a large El Nino.

It is still behind the 10 straight months of record heat in 1944, Blunden said.

It's likely we'll tie that record in February, she said.