2006 is sixth warmest year, but hurricanes below average
2006 is sixth warmest year, but hurricanes below average
mongabay.com
December 14, 2006
2006 will be the sixth-warmest year on record according to the World Meteorological Organization (WHO).
The United Nations weather agency said the ten hottest years have all occurred in the past 12 years. 2005 was the warmest year since record keeping began 150 years ago, according to the agency.
Preliminary figures show that 2006 was 0.42 degrees Celsius above the annual average from 1961-90. Final figures will be released in March 2007.
 This color-coded map shows a progression of changing global surface temperatures from 1893 to 2003. Dark red indicates the greatest warming and dark blue indicates the greatest cooling. Modified from a NASA animation. |
“Since the start of the 20th century, the global average surface temperature has risen approximately 0.7°C. But this rise has not been continuous,” stated the WMO in a release. “Since 1976, the global average temperature has risen sharply, at 0.18°C per decade.”
WMO said that 2006 featured prolonged drought across parts of Africa — especially the Greater Horn region, Australia, China and the United States. It also noted that flooding affected parts of Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and the U.S.
The agency notes the development of a moderate el Niño in late 2006, which it expected to continue into “at least into the first quarter of 2007.”
Hurricane/typhoon-wise 2006 proved to be a rather ordinary year with 61 tropical storms and typhoons forming. The global average is 63 per year.
WMO said that ozone depletion over Antarctica hit a new record, while the extent of Arctic sea ice was the second lowest ever measured.
