Earth is having its second-warmest year to date, and it's not over yet

Planet Earth has had its second-warmest year so far, and in the end, 2017 may wind up being the third-warmest year on record, ranking just behind behind 2016 and 2015. This year is also headed for the warmest year to occur without any El Niño or La Niña event in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Niño and La Niña events influence global average surface temperatures. El Niño in particular is well-known to boost global average temperatures on top of the long-term war