Global Temperatures Soar ahead of G8
Pastor Dale Morgan
*Global Temperatures Soar ahead of G8*
From correspondents in London
June 05, 2007 10:43pm
Article from: Agence France-Presse
GLOBAL temperatures were almost 0.5C above average in the first third of
2007, weather experts said today ahead of a G8 summit focused on climate
change.
The world now has a 60 per cent chance of experiencing its warmest year
on record in 2007, Britain's Met Office said on the eve of tomorrow's
Group of Eight summit in Germany.
The figures also revealed that this spring in Britain has been the
warmest since records began in 1914, with the average temperature at
9.0C, beating the previous record of 8.8C set in 1945.
Globally, the British weather centre said that 2007 could set a record,
but much depends on events around the world.
“These latest ... figures show that the first four months of 2007 are on
track with our global forecast for a warmer than average year,” Met
Office climate expert David Parker said.
“But the cool La Nina event developing in the equatorial Pacific could
prevent 2007 from being the warmest-ever year,” he added, referring to
the cooling weather system in the Pacific rim basin.
The Met Office noted that the unusually mild spring followed one of the
warmest recorded winters and a run of record-breaking years, with the
last five years being the warmest on record.
From January to April this year, temperatures were nearly 0.5C above
the long-term average, with the three spring months of March, April and
May all above their long-term averages, it said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is hosting the summit, will urge
leaders to take an ambitious step forward on climate change, notably
seeking a commitment to accept mandatory limits on the emission of
greenhouse gases.