<div dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_976_en.html">http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_976_en.html</a><br><br><div align="center"><strong>2001-2010, A Decade of Climate Extremes</strong></div>
<p align="center"> </p>
<p align="left"><strong>GENEVA 3 July 2013 - </strong><strong>The
world experienced unprecedented high-impact climate extremes during the
2001-2010 decade, which was the warmest since the start of modern
measurements in 1850 and continued an extended period of pronounced
global warming. More national temperature records were reported broken
than in any previous decade, according to a new report by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO).</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong>The report, <em><a href="http://library.wmo.int/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=15110" target="_blank">The Global Climate 2001-2010, A Decade of Climate Extremes</a></em>,
analysed global and regional temperatures and precipitation, as well as
extreme events such as the heat waves in Europe and Russia, Hurricane
Katrina in the United States of America, Tropical Cyclone Nargis in
Myanmar, droughts in the Amazon Basin, Australia and East Africa and
floods in Pakistan.</p>
<p>The decade was the warmest for both hemispheres and for both
land and ocean surface temperatures. The record warmth was accompanied
by a rapid decline in Arctic sea ice, and accelerating loss of net mass
from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and from the world’s
glaciers. As a result of this widespread melting and the thermal
expansion of sea water, global mean sea levels rose about 3 millimetres
(mm) per year, about double the observed 20th century trend of 1.6 mm
per year. Global sea level averaged over the decade was about 20 cm
higher than that of 1880, according to the report.</p>
<p>The WMO report charted rising atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases. Global-average concentrations of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere rose to 389 parts per million in 2010 (an increase of 39%
since the start of the industrial era in 1750), methane to 1808.0parts
per billion (158%) and nitrous oxide to 323.2 parts per billion (20%). </p>
<p>“A decade is the minimum possible timeframe for meaningful
assessments of climate change,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel
Jarraud. “WMO’s report shows that global warming was significant from
1971 to 2010 and that the decadal rate of increase between 1991-2000 and
2001-2010 was unprecedented. Rising concentrations of heat-trapping
greenhouse gases are changing our climate, with far reaching
implications for our environment and our oceans, which are absorbing
both carbon dioxide and heat.”</p>
<p>“Natural climate variability, caused in part by interactions
between our atmosphere and oceans – as evidenced by El Niño and La Niña
events - means that some years are cooler than others. On an annual
basis, the global temperature curve is not a smooth one. On a long-term
basis the underlying trend is clearly in an upward direction, more so in
recent times” said Mr Jarraud.</p>
<p>Between 2001 and 2010, there was no major El Niño event, which
normally leads to higher temperatures (as occurred in the then-record
warm year of 1998). Much of the decade experienced either cooling La
Niña or neutral conditions, except for the 2009/2010 moderate to strong
El Niño.</p>
<p>The 100-page report and an executive summary, incorporating
findings from a unique survey of 139 National Meteorological and
Hydrological Services and socio-economic data and analysis from several
UN agencies and partners, were released to coincide with the first
session of the Intergovernmental Board on Climate Services. This Board
is overseeing the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate
Services – an international initiative to improve and expand
scientifically-based climate information to help society cope with the
natural variability of our climate and human induced climate change.</p>
<p>‘“A decadal perspective makes it possible to assess trends in
the climate system and anticipate the future. It can also inform efforts
to develop operational climate services that provide information and
forecasts for decision-making in agriculture, health, disaster risk,
water resources and other sectors. These efforts are being coordinated
through the WMO-led Global Framework for Climate Services,” said Mr
Jarraud.</p>
<p>“Climate services are more necessary than ever to help us cope
with global changes in our climate, which are accentuated at regional
and national scales. Despite the significant decrease in casualties due
to severe storms and flooding, the WMO report highlighted an alarming
impact on health and mortality rates caused by the European and Russian
heat-waves. Given that climate change is expected to lead to more
frequent and intense heat-waves, we need to be prepared,‘’ said Mr.
Jarraud.</p>
<p><strong>Temperatures: </strong>The average land and
ocean-surface temperature for the decade 2001-2010 was estimated to be
14.47°C, or 0.47°C above the 1961–1990 global average and +0.21°C above
the 1991–2000 global average (with a factor of uncertainty of ± 0.1°C).</p>
<p>The decadal rate of increase in the global temperature
accelerated between 1971 and 2010. The global temperature increased at
an average estimated rate of 0.17°C per decade during that period,
compared with 0.062°C per decade for the entire 1880-2010 period. The
average 2001-2010 decadal temperature was 0.21°C warmer than 1991–2000,
which in turn was +0.14°C warmer than 1981-1990. </p>
<p>Every year of the decade except 2008 was among the 10 warmest
years on record. The warmest year ever recorded was 2010, with a
temperature estimated at 0.54°C above the 14.0°C long term average of
1961-1990 base period, followed closely by 2005.</p>
<p>Above-average temperatures were observed over most parts of the
globe in 2001-2010. This was particularly marked in the higher
latitudes of the northern hemisphere. Greenland recorded the largest
decadal temperature anomaly, at +1.71°C above the long-term average and
with a temperature in 2010 of +3.2°C above average. Africa experienced
warmer than normal conditions in every year of the decade.</p>
<p>Results from WMO’s survey showed that nearly 94% of reporting
countries had their warmest decade in 2001-2010 and no country reported a
nationwide average decadal temperature anomaly cooler than the long
term average.</p>
<p>Some 44% of countries in the survey reported nationwide hottest
temperature records in 2001-2010, compared to 24% in 1991-2000.
Coldest daily minimum temperature absolute records showed an opposite
pattern: In 1961-1970, nearly 32 % of the countries reported nationwide
lowest minimum temperature values. The percentage decreased to 11% in
2001-2010. </p>
<p><strong>Precipitation and floods: </strong>The 2001-2010 decade
was the second wettest since 1901. Globally, 2010 was the wettest year
since the start of instrumental records.</p>
<p>Most parts of the globe had above-normal precipitation during
the decade. The eastern USA, northern and eastern Canada, and many parts
of Europe and central Asia were particularly wet.</p>
<p>According to the WMO survey, floods were the most frequently
experienced extreme events over the course of the decade. Eastern Europe
was particularly affected in 2001 and 2005, India in 2005, Africa in
2008, Asia (notably Pakistan, where 2 000 people died and 20 million
were affected) in 2010, and Australia, also in 2010. </p>
<p>Droughts affect more people than any other kind of natural
hazards owing to their large scale and long-lasting nature. The decade
2001–2010 saw droughts occur in all parts of the world. Some of the
highest-impact and long-term droughts struck Australia (in 2002 and
other years), East Africa (2004 and 2005, resulting in widespread loss
of life) and the Amazon Basin (2010) with negative environmental
impacts.</p>
<p><strong>Tropical cyclones: </strong>Between 2001 and 2010,
there were 511 tropical cyclone related events which resulted in a total
of nearly 170,000 persons reported killed, over 250 million people
reported affected and estimated economic damages of US$ 380 billion.</p>
<p>According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, 2001-2010 was the most active decade since 1855 in terms
of tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic Basin. An average of
15 named storms per year was recorded, well above the long-term average
of 12. </p>
<p>The North Indian Ocean saw the deadliest tropical cyclone
recorded during the decade, when Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar
in early May 2008. More than 138 000 people were reported killed or
missing, eight million people were affected and thousands of homes were
destroyed. </p>
<p><strong>Impacts: </strong>During the decade 2001-2010, more
than 370,000 people died as a result of extreme weather and climate
conditions, including heat waves, cold spells, drought, storms and
floods, according to the data provided by the Centre for Research on the
Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). This was 20% higher than 1991-2000.
This increase is due mainly to the 2003 heat wave in Europe and the
2010 in Russia which contributed to an increase of more than 2000% in
the global death toll from heat waves (from less than 6000 in 1991-2000
to 136 000 in 2001-2010).</p>
<p>On the other hand, there was a 16% decline in deaths due to
storms and 43% decline in deaths from floods, thanks mainly to better
early warning systems and increased preparedness and despite an increase
in populations in disaster-prone areas. </p>
<p>According to the 2011 Global Assessment Report, the average
population exposed to flooding every year increased by 114% globally
between 1970 and 2010, a period in which the world’s population
increased by 87% from 3.7 billion to 6.9 billion. The number of people
exposed to severe storms almost tripled in cyclone-prone areas,
increasing by 192%, in the same period.</p>
<p>Much research is being conducted into whether it is possible to
attribute individual extreme events to climate change rather than
natural variability. Scientists increasingly conclude that the
likelihood of an event such as the 2003 European heat wave was probably
substantially increased by rising global temperatures. It is therefore
important to develop this research to strengthen climate science and to
use it to improve climate services to help society adapt to climate
change.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <img src="http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/images/clip_image002_006.gif" height="288" width="567"> </p>
<p class="">Decadal global combined surface-air temperature
over land and sea-surface temperature (°C) obtained from the average
over the three independent datasets maintained by the HadCRU,
NOAA-NCDCand NASA-GISS.The Horizontal grey line indicates the long term
average value ( 14°C). </p>
<p> <img src="http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/images/clip_image002_001.jpg" height="331" width="643"> </p>
<p class="">Impact of Extreme events during 2001-2010 compared with 1991-2000. Total number of loss of lives</p>
<p class=""> </p>
<p><em>Notes to Editors: Climate data and information used in this
report was provided by a number of international, regional and national
institutions. Most of the data on impacts caused by extreme events was
provided by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters.
Details on data sources, contributors and references are included in the
<a href="http://library.wmo.int/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=15110" target="_blank">full report</a></em></p>
<p><a href="http://library.wmo.int/opac/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=15112" target="_blank">Full report </a></p>
<p> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSz7U0C0bsY" target="_blank">Brief video interview on the decadal climate report</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>
</strong><strong><em>The World Meteorological Organization is the United Nations System’s authoritative voice on Weather, Climate and Water</em></strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify">For more information, please contact: </p>
<p style="text-align:justify"><a href="mailto:cnullis%28at%29%20wmo.int" class="">Clare Nullis, Media Officer</a>, Communications and Public Affairs, Tel: +(41 22) 730 8478; 41-79) 7091397 (cell)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify">Website: <a href="http://www.wmo.int/">www.wmo.int</a></p><p style="text-align:justify">------------------------------------------</p><p style="text-align:justify">Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett<br>
</p><br></div>