By Kanishka Singh and Nichola Groom (Reuters) – The year 2021 ranked as the fourth-warmest year on record in the United States, with December 2021 being the warmest December ever recorded, as the country was hit by 20 separate billion-dollar disasters, according to an overview of a government report published on Monday. The analysis from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) came hours after European Union scientists said last year was the world’s fifth hottest on record, adding to evidence pointing toward the globe’s long-term warming trend. NCEI is a division of the Natio…