The year 2013 is currently on course to be among the top ten warmest years since modern records began in 1850, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said today.
“Temperatures so far this year are about the same as the average during 2001-2010, which was the warmest decade on record,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud. “All of the warmest years have been since 1998 and this year once again continues the underlying, long-term trend.” However, he noted that surface temperatures are only part of the wider picture of climate change, as its impact is already being felt on the planet’s water cycle in the form of floods, extreme precipitation and droughts.
Jarraud said that rising sea levels are aggravating the impact of storms such as Typhoon Haiyan.
APA