Bangladeshi officials have announced plans to expand the SERVIR satellite-based flood forecasting system for nationwide use. The system uses Jason-2 satellite data to predict flooding as far as eight days in advance, a significant advancement in disaster preparedness for the flood-prone country. SERVIR is a joint initiative between USAID and NASA.

Both NASA and NOAA have ranked May 2014 as the planet’s hottest May since records began in 1880. ​UPDATE: Since this article was published, June 2014, August 2014, September 2014, and October 2014 have also set records for monthly average temperatures.

In front of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) national headquarters building in Reston, Va., two genetically identical lilac bushes are rooted in the earth. To casual observers, they are fragrant adornments to the landscaped property. But to ecologist Jake Weltzin and geographer John Jones—USGS scientists who study plant and animal life-cycle events—they are “Li” and “Lac,” two small but important pieces of a developing climate change indicator system.

According to the latest statistics from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, the average temperature for the contiguous United States during July was 77.6F, which is 3.3F above the 20th-century average.