BROWNSVILLE – A National Weather Service meteorologist pointed to record high temperatures and our recent flood events, saying they correlate levels of carbon dioxide, calling the trends 'troubling.'

"These are your top five hottest years on record," said Barry Goldsmith, a NWS meteorologist.

Goldsmith presented government charts documenting the accumulation of a carbon dioxide, as well as data showing several years of record-setting heat averages.

"Starting in 1980, there's an exponential increase, accelerated increase, in temperature across the globe," explained Goldsmith.

The hottest years on record in Brownsville are 2017, 2012, 2018, 2016 and 2011.

Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows concentration of carbon dioxide is accumulating in the atmosphere.

At the environmental forum on Monday night, Goldsmith also pointed out our four recent severe flood events that by probability should only no more than once every 500 years.

"We had four locally, or near locally. One in 500, to one in 1000 in three calendar years," said Goldsmith.

A big question for many is if demonstrations and models and charts can accurately explain what our atmosphere is doing. Goldsmith says there's more work to be done.

"That exponential accelerated increase in all those values since 1980 is a real deal," he added.

He says the four flood events in the Rio Grande Valley haven't been studied closely enough by NOAA to establish a conclusive link to climate change. 

NOAA did conclude flooding in Louisiana in 2016 was made worse by climate change. Goldsmith said the floods have to be researched more before more can be said.