2022 ranked as 5th or 6th warmest year on record

Earth's fever last year persisted, not quite spiking to a record high, but still in the top five or six warmest on record, several governmental agencies reported Thursday.

But expect record-shattering hot years soon, likely in the next couple years because of "relentless" climate change from the burning of coal, oil and gas, U.S. government scientists said. Despite a La Nina, a cooling of the equatorial Pacific that slightly reduces global average temperatures, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculates 2022's global average temperature was 58.55 degrees, ranking sixth hottest on record.

If the Arctic -- which is warming three to four times faster than the rest of the world --and Antarctic are factored in, NOAA said it would be fifth warmest. NASA, which has long factored the Arctic in its global calculations, said 2022 is essentially tied for fifth warmest with 2015.