2005 second warmest year yet

The second warmest year, on record, is about to end.As 2005 draws to a close, climate experts have studied surface temperature data globally...

The second warmest year, on record, is about to end.

As 2005 draws to a close, climate experts have studied surface temperature data globally to note that the year8212;marked by extreme weather events worldwide, from New Orleans to Mumbai8212;was unusually warm.

This month, the World Meteorological Organisation WMO in Geneva reported the Status of Global Climate in 2005 with contributions from WMO member nations including India: 8216;8216;2005 is currently the second warmest year on record,8217;8217; the WMO report said. Final figures will be released in February.

8216;8216;Overall, temperatures were abnormally warm for the Indian region also,8217;8217; M Rajeevan Nair, coordinator of the WMO report and director, National Climate Centre, Pune, told The Indian Express. 8216;8216;2005 being the second warmest year is very important since there was no El Nino influence on global temperatures.8217;8217;

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA has also released data that agrees with the WMO: 8216;8216;There has been no El Nino event in 2005, but rather unusual warmth across large parts of the globe throughout the year.8217;8217;

In 19988212;the warmest year8212;record global temperatures were recorded under the influence of El Nino or the warming of Pacific waters. This year, NOAA states: 8216;8216;2005 would likely be the second warmest year on record, marginally lower than 1998.8217;8217;

Globally, October 2005 was the warmest October on record and June 2005 was the warmest June, surpassing June 1998.

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8216;8216;In India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, extremely harsh heatwaves in May and June brought maximum temperatures between 45 and 50 degrees celsius,8217;8217; says the WMO report. 8216;8216;Delayed southwest monsoon rains allowed the heatwave to persist into June, claiming at least 400 lives in India.8217;8217; Southwest USA, Australia, China, Western Europe, the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean were also warmer, says Nair.

8216;8216;In India, 2005 temperatures must have been on the higher side,8217;8217; estimates G B Pant, director, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. 8216;8216;And because of global warming, atmospheric extreme weather events are increasing.8217;8217; NOAA mentions Mumbai8217;s 944 mm rainfall on July 26 among 8216;significant weather and climate events8217; like severe drought in Africa and the Amazon river basin, and Australia8217;s hottest year since 1910.

8216;8216;There8217;s reasoning and speculation that with global warming, the chances of extreme weather events increase,8217;8217; says Nair.

Global changes

8226; 2005 global mean surface temperature is currently estimated to be 0.48 degrees Celsius above the 1961-1990 annual average 14 degrees

8226; Globally, warmest October and June on record

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8226; 2005 surface temperatures for northern hemisphere likely to be the warmest from 1861 to today

8226; Australia8217;s hottest year since 1910