Will 2005 Be the Warmest Year on Record?
`Two major meteorological organizations agree: 2005 was a very warm year, and if it didn’t set a new record for high average temperatures, it came very close to doing so.
Last week the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) based in Geneva, Switzerland, reported that the global mean surface temperature in 2005 is estimated to be 58.06°F (14.48°C). That figure is 0.86°F (0.48°C) warmer than the average between 1961 and 1990.
Although official figures will not be released until next February, 2005 is likely to be one of the hottest four years since record-keeping began in 1861. October and June of this year were the warmest those months have ever been.’
