With data from just the first nine months, scientists are 90% certain that 2016 will break the global record for the warmest year, the BBC reports.
Temperatures from January to September were 1.2C above pre-industrial levels.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says they will remain high enough for the rest of the year to pass the mark set in 2015.
El Nino has had an impact, but the most significant factor driving temperatures up continues to be CO2 emissions.
While there are still a couple of months to go this year, a preliminary analysis of the October data indicates that 2016 is very much on track to surpass the 2015 level, which in turn broke the previous high mark set in 2014.
