Eloise Gibson of the NZ Herald reports on a recent figures from the World Meteorological Organisation which suggest that this year could be one of the hottest on record.
Early figures suggest that 2009 was almost half a degree warmer than the long-term average, thus making it the fifth warmest year since 1850, when instrumental records began.
An excerpt: (read in full here)
“The 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 1997, the WMO said.
“The decade of the 2000s (2000-2009) was warmer than the 1990s, which were warmer than the 1980s.
“Dr Jim Salinger, the Auckland-based president of the WMO’s commission for agricultural meteorology, said New Zealand observations were consistent with the world data and showed a continuing increase in New Zealand temperatures.
“The WMO said its temperature readings came from land-based stations, ships, buoys and satellites around the world.”