Felt hot this year? According to the latest update from the Meteorological Service Singapore yesterday, 2016 has been the hottest year on record in Singapore - and globally.

As of Thursday, the mean annual temperature recorded at the Changi climate station, which is used as a reference station, was 28.4 deg C, beating the record of 28.3 deg C set in 1997, 1998 and last year. New monthly records for the hottest January, April and August were also set this year.

While temperatures have cooled somewhat during the current rainy season, they soared in the first half of the year owing to a very strong El Nino effect, said a meteorological service spokesman.

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