Report: 2010 equals 2005 as hottest since records began

by Steven Mostyn - Jan 13 2011, 12:46

If you thought the heat of 2005 was just a quirky one-off and global warming is little more than an exercise in fear mongering—climate experts would have you think again.

Because, according to new information released by the U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), 2010 equalled 2005 as the warmest year since records began back in 1880.

During 2010, the planet’s average temperature hit 58.12 degrees Fahrenheit, which equates to a rise of 1.12 degrees when measured against the 20th-century average of 57.0 degrees Celsius.

Similarly, global land surface temperatures for 2010 were also the hottest on record, pushing 1.80 degrees above the 20th-century average, while ocean temperatures were the third warmest on record at 0.88 degrees above average.

“This warmth reinforces the notion that we’re seeing climate change,” commented David Easterling, head of scientific services at NCDC, adding that nine of the last 10 hottest years have come since the turn of the millennium.

Notable for being more than just unusually hot, the report also revealed that 2010 was the wettest year on record, contributing directly to the deadly floods in Pakistan and tropical storm fronts that raged across Central America.

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