2000-2009: WARMEST DECADE ON RECORD

 The past 10 years have been the warmest in recorded history, according to the UK Meteorological (Met) Office.  Figures released at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen show despite 1998 being the warmest year on record, has been the warmest decade recorded in 160 years.  In a separate announcement, the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva that 2009 will be one of the 10 warmest individual years recorded. The provisional figure for warming during the year is 0.44C above the long-term average of 14C.  A third paper released today, from the German research group Germanwatch, showed that Bangladesh, Burma and Honduras were the three countries most affected in the past 20 years by extremes of climate.  Also in the top ten were Vietnam, Nicaragua, Haiti, India, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines and China.  Only four developed countries were in the top 20 of countries most prone to weather disaster: Italy at 12, Spain at 14, Portugal at 14 and the U.S. at 18.  The 2003 drought in southern Europe, which led to tens of thousands of deaths and huge insurance losses, as well as a series of category 5 hurricanes in the U.S. are responsible for these rich countries being placed so highly in the league table.