Dr. Robert RohdeIf it is not literally the warmest year ever, someone will complain that global warming has stopped.
Year-to-year fluctuations are a normal part of the ongoing global warming trend. Don't be distracted by the noise.
Gerard Cats@RARohde and when it IS the warmest year ever observed, the denialistas will claim "it's weather, can't you see the difference between climate and weather?" or "The Medieval Warming Period was warmer, so it is not the warmest ever".