2015 the Hottest Year in Meteorological History

The World Meteorological Organization, in its latest report, states that the global temperature this year is likely to reach the highest level since records began by this UN-affiliated body. According to the report published on the official website of this international organization, statistics gathered during the first 10 months of the year indicate that 2015 is the hottest year on Earth. Michael Jarraud, the head of the World Meteorological Organization, stated, "We are confident that last year's temperature was the highest. The air and land temperatures have exceeded last year's record, which was itself a record for global warming, and this is really bad news for our planet." The report also mentions that the years 2011 to 2015 have been the hottest five-year period in global climate history, marked by severe natural disasters, particularly the occurrence of heat waves. The report refers to a previous warning from the meteorological organization, stating that the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere has reached its highest level, with 400 particles per million recorded during the spring months in the Northern Hemisphere. According to the preliminary assessment by the World Meteorological Organization, statistical data from January to October show that ocean surface temperatures have increased by approximately 0.73 degrees Celsius compared to the years 1961 to 1990, and this figure reaches one degree Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era. The average of the past five years also shows an increase of 0.57 degrees Celsius compared to the 1960s to 1990s. The report from the UN-affiliated organization comes as leaders from 145 countries prepare to participate in a conference in Paris to discuss global warming. With the current trend and without reducing fossil fuel consumption, it is expected that the Earth's temperature will rise by 3 degrees Celsius. The Paris Climate Change Conference will begin on Monday. The report from the World Meteorological Organization further states that the destructive effects of this year's severe El Niño on the Earth's temperature will continue. El Niño occurs every 2 to 7 years due to rising sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and can cause heavy rainfall in some areas and drought in others. For example, the report mentions India, stating that the country's monsoon rains this year were 86 percent above normal. Satellite images also indicate that sea levels reached their highest level in the first half of 2015 since satellites began measuring sea levels in 1993. The report adds that the situation on land has also been very poor: "In large parts of the northwest United States, much of Africa and America, and eastern and southern Eurasia, air temperatures have been above normal. China experienced the hottest weather from January to October, while Africa witnessed the second-highest annual temperature increase." The report mentions the phenomenon of heat waves, noting that from May to July, temperatures in large parts of India reached 42 degrees Celsius and in some areas 45 degrees Celsius. During the same time, average temperatures in parts of Pakistan also reached 40 degrees Celsius. Heat-related fatalities in India reached 1,100 in early summer this year.