World Headed for 10th Warmest Year on Record

This year will probably be the 10th warmest on record, and the hottest featuring the La Nina phenomenon that brings cooler waters to the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the World Meteorological Organization said. The global average temperature through October was about 0.41 of a degree Celsius (0.74 of a degree Fahrenheit) above the average of 14 degrees from 1961 to 1990, the WMO said today in a statement released at the United Nations climate talks in Durban, South Africa. That means the 13 warmest years on record have been in the last 15 years, the organization said. The findings match scientific evidence showing warming temperatures over the past few decades, said Peter Stott, head of climate monitoring at the U.K. Met Office, whose own temperature series feeds into the WMO data. The finding, along with a surge in greenhouse gas emissions, adds to pressure on delegates in Durban to step up the fight against climate change.