January world's hottest on record for Japan
Pastor Dale Morgan
January world's hottest on record for Japan*
TOKYO, Feb 13 (AFP) Feb 13, 2007
Last month was the world's hottest January on record, in further
evidence that greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming,
Japanese scientists said this week..
Temperatures across the planet were 0.45 degrees Celsius above average
in January, the highest since figures were first compiled in 1891, the
Japan Meteorological Agency said.
It said that temperatures were particularly high in eastern Russia and
northern Europe.
"Reasons behind the high temperatures are considered to be the impact of
global warming due to an increase in carbon dioxide, along with El Nino
and the cyclical natural movement in temperatures," an agency statement
said.
The study came a week after a UN report blamed human activities for
global warming and predicted a rise in typhoons, droughts and other
natural disasters.
The report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that
temperatures could rise by between 1.1 and 6.4 degrees Celsius by 2100.
Japan, the host of the landmark Kyoto Protocol meant to fight global
warming, has experienced an unusually warm winter with little snow.
However, the Meteorological Agency said Japan's temperature in January
was only the fourth highest on record, at 1.44 degrees above normal. The
record was in January 1989 when temperatures in Japan were 2.09 degrees
higher.