Hottest year yet predicted - Environment Australia

November 14, 2005 — Melissa Fyfe SMH

The past decade has been filled with unusually hot years, but the Bureau of Meteorology said the first 10 months of 2005 were the warmest since monthly records began in 1950, and would probably make it the hottest year since annual records began in 1910.

"This really emphasises how pervasive global warming actually is," said David Jones, head of climate analysis at the bureau's National Climate Centre.

Greg Hunt, who oversees the bureau as federal parliamentary secretary for the environment, said there was a clear temperature trend over the past decade. "We need to work on cause and effect. We need to focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions and on increasing water conservation and water recycling."

From January to October temperatures were 1.03 degrees above the 30-year average. This year did not feature major heatwaves, Dr Jones said, although in April some towns experienced temperatures five to 10 degrees above average.

Climate scientists are picking up a similar trend around the world. This year's was the warmest September for 125 years.

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