Global temperatures in 2011 hit the 11th highest level on record despite the cooling influence of a strong La Nina weather pattern, the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday.
On average, global temperatures in 2011 were lower than the record level hit the previous year but were still 0.40 degrees Centigrade above the 1961-1990 average, the report said.
“The world is warming because of human activities and this is resulting in far-reaching and potentially irreversible impact on our Earth, atmosphere and oceans,” said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.
La Nina, a natural weather phenomenon linked to heavy rains and flooding in Asia-Pacific and South America and drought in Africa, was active in the tropical Pacific until last May. - Reuters