Average global temperatures from January-June 2010 have been the warmest since records began in 1880, a report issued on the U.S. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website said on Friday.

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June 2010 was the warmest on record at 16.2 degrees Celsius (61.2 degrees Farenheit), which is 0.68 Celsius degrees above the 20th century average of 15.5 degrees Celsius (59.9 degrees Farenheit).

"Warmer-than-average conditions dominated the globe, with the most prominent warmth in Peru, the central and eastern contiguous U.S., and eastern and western Asia," the report said.

The report also said that the area covered by Arctic Sea ice has reduced by 10.6% against the 1979-2000 average level.

Russian meteorologists say the 2010 summer is one of the three hottest on record. Forecasters predicted record temperatures of 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit) in Moscow for Friday.

MOSCOW, July 16 (RIA Novosti)