The year 2009 is nominally ranked as the fifth warmest year on record since the beginning of instrumental climate records around 1850.
On the decadal scale, the analysis shows that the 2000s decade (2000–2009) was warmer than the 1990s (1990–1999), which in turn were warmer than the 1980s (1980–1989) and earlier decades.
Global temperature assessment is provided with an uncertainty margin that affects the global surface temperature figures and consequently their ranking, mainly as a result of the existing gaps in data coverage. The magnitude of the uncertainty in assessing the global surface temperature in 2009 is estimated at 0.10°C. Therefore, the most likely value of the global surface temperature anomaly for 2009 is between +0.34°C and +0.56°C.
The southern hemisphere was particularly warmer than the long-term average, especially during the austral winter and late spring.
Source: WMO statement on the status of the global climate in 2009 (PDF) – World Meteorological Organization
Date: 23 March 2010
Climate Change
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