The hottest year spells global doom*

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 12:54am GMT 14/12/2006

Central England sweltered in temperatures that are likely to make this
year the hottest since records began in 1659, according to a report
published by meteorologists.

The findings came as the Paris based Organisation for Economic
Co-operation and Development warned that climate change could devastate
the ski resorts of Europe within a few decades.

Worldwide, the provisional figures for 2006, using data from January to
November, place the year as the sixth warmest in a global record that
stretches back to 1850 and around 0.42C above the 1961-1990 average.
advertisement

For reasons that are not understood, the northern hemisphere has warmed
more than the southern. Only days ago, another study — by the US
National Centre for Atmospheric Research — predicted that the Arctic
Ocean could become almost devoid of ice during summer as early as 2040.

The latest evidence of global warming in Britain is revealed by
preliminary temperature figures for 2006 released by the Met Office and
the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit.

One of the authors of the study, Prof Phil Jones, of UEA, warned that a
climate phenomenon called El Nino is likely to push the mercury up next
year so it will rival 1998, the hottest year ever recorded.

"El Nino makes the world warmer and the last big one was in 1997-1998
and we have not had a major one since then," he said.

In Britain, the temperatures recorded this year have been remarkable,
said Prof Jones.

The series of temperatures for Central England set a succession of
records that saw hosepipe bans and gardeners give up attempts to keep
their lawns green.

Garden centres and DIY stores ran out of water butts at one stage and
hundreds of towns and villages abandoned their traditional floral
displays and hanging baskets.

The new figures show that not only have individual months set record
temperatures but, more significantly, extended periods have also done
so. Prof Jones said the margins of increase were "enormous".

Overall, 2006 saw the warmest month on record, set this July, with a
mean temperature of 19.7C.

On July 19, the nation experienced a new maximum temperature for the
month of 36.5C, recorded at Wisley, south-west of London.

The year also recorded the warmest September with a temperature of 16.8C.

The warmest April to October period was reported with a mean temperature
of 14.6C. The warmest autumn was measured with a mean temperature of 12.6C.

Central England had the warmest ever growing season, surpassing 1959 and
1995. Scientists say the year was probably the warmest on record in
central England.

The joint warmest years currently are 1990 and 1999, which recorded a
mean temperature of 10.63C. With just over two weeks to the end of the
year, the current mean temperature anomaly to Dec 12 is equivalent to an
annual temperature of 10.84C. Prof Jones said: "This year sees the
highest average temperature recorded since the Central England
Temperature series began in 1659, and the rise above the average is
significantly higher than that for the two hottest years we have
experienced."

The Met Office scientist, David Parker, said 2006 had been "quite
extraordinary with several records being broken in terms of the UK
temperature".

Ruin for Alps: B9