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November was a hot month for planet Earth.
The US government scientists reported November set a heat record. They say it was the warmest November on record, across Earth, since record-keeping began in 1880.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says average global temperature, for water and land surfaces combined, was 56.6 degrees, or 13.7 Celsius. That's 1.4 degrees, or 0.78 degrees Celsius, above the 20th century average.
It was the 37th consecutive November with above-average temperatures. The last below-average November was in 1976.
It was also the 345th straight month with above-average temperatures. That's almost 29 years.
Among the November hot spots are much of Eurasia, Central America and the Indian Ocean. In Russia, it was the warmest November on record. But parts of North America were cooler than average.
Having a loved one serving overseas during the holidays is no picnic. But an enterprising woman found a way for the two to be together, even though they are very far apart.
Behold the Perdue Christmas card: One half shows 29-year-old Sergeant Daniel Perdue, in Afghanistan in army fatigues, holding up his part of the holiday greeting. The other half of the photo shows 25-year-old Christina Perdue, in Santa hat surrounded by the snowy landscape of Westchester County, New York. Thanks to some clever editing, the two come together for one wish, "Merry Christmas,"despite their geographic disadvantage.
Christina Perdue wrote on her Facebook page: "We may not get to be together for the holiday but we still manage to come together with our holiday photo. After searching for ideas, we came across this one and thought it was perfect! I hope you all enjoy!"
Safe to say, many are appreciating the effort. The card, and the message behind it, quickly went viral.
On Facebook, the card is a hit. And their story was picked up by a local TV station. Comments like these are typical: Kimberly Mishk writes: "Such a great idea! Love this."Jessica Bennie adds, "This is so cool! And it came out perfect!"
This holiday marks the couple's second Christmas apart, and Christina Perdue hopes, their last.
This is NEWS Plus Special English.