GENEVA: Climate change has accelerated in the past decade, the
UN weather agency said Friday, releasing data showing that 2001
to 2010 was the warmest decade on record. The 10-year period was
also marked by extreme levels of rain or snowfall, leading to
significant flooding on all continents, while droughts affected
parts of East Africa and North America. "The decade 2001-2010
was the warmest since records began in 1850, with global land
and sea surface temperatures estimated at 0.46 degrees Celsius
above the long term average of 14.0 degrees Celsius (57.2
degrees Fahrenheit)," said the World Meteorological
Organisation. Nine of the 10 years also counted among the 10
warmest on record, it added, noting that "climate change
accelerated" during the first decade of the 21st century. The
trend continued in 2011, which was the warmest year on record
despite La Nina -- a weather pattern which has a cooling effect.
'The average temperature in 2011 was 0.40 degrees Celsius above
the long term average, said the WMO. "