August 2012 global temperatures were fourth highest on record

The globally-averaged temperature for August 2012 marked the fourth warmest August since record keeping began in 1880. August 2012 also marks the 36^th consecutive August and 330^th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average.
Most areas of the world experienced much higher-than-average monthly temperatures, including far northeastern North America, central and Southern Europe, and east central Asia. Meanwhile, parts of Siberia were notably cooler than average. In the Arctic, sea ice extent averaged 1.82 million square miles, resulting in the all-time lowest August sea ice extent on record. On August 26^th, the Arctic dipped below the record smallest daily extent, previously set on September 18^th, 2007.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/