Despite low solar activity, the WMO found
that 2009 was one of the five warmest
years on record.
Image: iStockphoto

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) — the UN’s weather bureau — has released its statement on the state of global climate from 2000-2009 in a press conference at climate negotiations in Copenhagen.

Measurements indicate that 2009 is among the top 5 warmest years, and that the past decade has been the warmest on record.

Read the full statement here.

Australian and New Zealand experts have responded positively to the statement, with many believing it may convert global warming sceptics.

Prof Martin Manning, Director of NZ Climate Change Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington, comments:

“This is an important statement for the WMO to make. Given the amount of criticism that has been aimed recently at one of the groups doing careful summaries of temperature data, it shows that our knowledge of the increasing global temperatures is widespread and certainly not reliant on any individual organisation.

“This update on recent global temperatures shows that those arguing that there was a peak in temperatures in the 1990s are not making a balanced interpretation of the available data.

“The WMO statement also points out the increasing seriousness of extreme weather around the world. The number of extreme events is increasing and leading to a growing realisation that continuing climate change will bring negative impacts.”

Dr Jim Salinger, an Auckland-based climate scientist and president of the World Meteorological Organization’s Commission for Agricultural Meteorology comments:

“The observations from the World Meteorological Organisation shows that climate warming continues with likely the fifth warmest year on record, and the third lowest summer Arctic sea ice on record. New Zealand observations are consistent and show continuing increase in New Zealand temperatures over the last few decades, and further loss of the permanent snow and ice in the Southern Alps.”

Dr James Renwick, Principal Scientist NIWA National Climate Centre, comments:

“My take is that it is a very good overview of the state of the global climate in 2009, something that has only become possible to do in close to real-time since the advent of comprehensive satellite (and other) observing systems.

“Understanding how the climate system is varying and changing is critically dependent on such monitoring systems, and climate system observing should be a top priority for all national funding agencies. The climate in 2009 show a mix of events, underlining the effects of climate extremes upon humanity, from the Victorian bush fires, to drought in China, and heat waves in Europe and India. The climate change signal is clear, with the current decade coming in warmer than the 1990s, which were warmer than the 1980s. Continued monitoring, prediction, and adaptation/preparedness are crucial.”

Professor Tim Flannery is Professor of Environmental and Life Sciences at Macquarie University, Chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council and Australian of the Year (2007), comments:

“A central plank of the climate sceptics’ creed has been that the Earth has been cooling since 1998. They have misled many, and damaged public policy as a result. Here is the definitive proof that they are wrong. Unfortunately the warming trend continues, and will continue as long as greenhouse gas concentrations continue to grow”.

Professor Andy Pitman is Joint Director of the Climate Change Research Centre a the University of NSW, comments:

“Given we are in a period of low solar activity, and have been through a sustained La Nina, 2009 should have been a cool year. The fact it ranked in the top 5 since 1850 is actually frightening. The heatwaves in NSW, Victoria and South Australia that occurred in 2009 are also frightening and do not bode well for 2010 and beyond”.