Originally published February 12 2006
Scientists place 2005 as second-warmest year on record after 1998
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Unofficial numbers released by the World Meteorological Organization showed that average temperatures during 2005 make it the second-warmest year on record, after 1998, and suggest it is most likely because a layer of gasses in the atmosphere is trapping heat from the sun.
New data from meterologists around the world shows that 2005 is currently the second warmest year on record and is likely to be among the warmest four years in the temperature record since 1861, but the World Meteorological Organization says official figures will not be released until February.
Areas of significant warmth were widespread with large areas of Africa, Australia, Brazil, China and the United States showing significantly above-average temperatures.
For Australia, preliminary data indicate that 2005 will be the hottest year since records commenced in 1910, with around 97 percent of the continent experiencing above-average mean temperatures.
The delayed south-west monsoon rains allowed the heatwave to persist into June, claiming at least 400 lives in India.
Long-term drought continued in parts of the Greater Horn of Africa, including southern Somalia, eastern Kenya, southeastern Ethiopia, northeastern Tanzania and Djibouti.
During the period October 2004 to June 2005, rainfall was less than half the normal in areas of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Portugal.
At the end of winter, moderate to extreme drought affected 72 percent of the Pacific Northwest.
The southwest monsoon during June-September brought unprecedented heavy rain and widespread flooding to parts of western and southern India, affecting more than 20 million people and resulting in more than 1800 deaths.
Persistent heavy rains during the period May-August led to destructive flooding in eastern Europe, particularly in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary, causing damage to property, infrastructure and agriculture.
The 2005 Atlantic Hurricane season brought an unprecedented 26 named tropical storms that caused devastating losses across Central America, the Caribbean and the United States.
This year, the size of the Antarctic ozone hole was close to 2003 values and well above the 1995-2004 average.
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