And it was only not the hottest because of a neutral ENSO. ENSO (the El Nino - La Nina cycle) puts a wobble on the trend. A strong El Nino year will bust the current 2016 record.

The UK Met easily predicted this year's temps to be second-highest.

Australia had the hottest year on record in 2019 as well as breaking the hottest day on record multiple times in the same week

Furthermore, locally larger weather shifts (and even unseasonably cold areas) are completely consistent with, in fact expected, for increased global temperatures. That energy has to go somewhere.