Planet Earth is Sizzling Hot

In the Northern Hemisphere the weather is bitter cold. However, it’s anticipated that next summer it will be sizzling hot. So, in case you are a winter lover, enjoy the cold weather while it lasts.

According to federal scientists at NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, 2007 was the warmest year ever recorded for the Earth’s land areas, with an average temperature about 1.84 degrees above the long-term average. Global weather records began in 1880. For the entire Earth’s surface, including the oceans, scientists report that the global temperature was the 5th-warmest on record.

A scorching heat wave in southeastern Europe in June and July prompted record levels of electricity demand and more than 130 wildfires.

In the U.S., an August heat wave set more than 2,000 new daily high temperature records. Eight states experienced their warmest August on record. Overall, 2007 was the 10th-warmest year in the United States since records began in 1895, with an annual average temperature of 54.2 degrees, the climate center reported last week.

A spokesman from the National Climatic Data Center said that seven of the Earth’s eight warmest years on record have occurred since 2001, and 10 of the warmest years have occurred since 1997. Let’s take a look at this disturbing data:

EARTH’S TOP 10 WARMEST YEARS
(Source: National Climatic Data Center – Since 1880)

1- 2005
2 – 1998
3 – 2002
4- 2003
5 – 2007
6 – 2006
7 – 2004
8 – 2001
9 – 1997
10 – 1999

The global average surface temperature has risen more than 1 degree since the start of the 20th century. Most notable, within the past three decades, the rate of warming in global temperatures has been approximately three times greater than the century scale trend.

Most scientists say the release of man-made greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is to blame for the warming trend. “There’s no denying that climate change is occurring, and warmer winters and warmer years are more common for that reason,” said climatologist Jay Lawrimore of the National Climatic Data Center.

Even though many still believe otherwise, global warming and climate change is here, and here to stay.