Japan confirms 2014 was Earth's warmest year

BY ANDREW FREEDMAN

The first official temperature monitoring institution to report 2014's climate data has now confirmed what climatologists widely expected: 2014 was the planet's warmest year since thermometers began monitoring temperatures in the late 19th century.

Other studies, using data from ice cores, tree rings, corals and other so-called "proxy" data shows the planet has not been this warm in at least 4,000 years, while other data shows that the level of the main global warming gas has not been this high in all of human history.

SEE ALSO: The charts that show we're living through Earth's warmest year on record

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) released preliminary temperature data on Monday showing that 2014 exceeded all other data in its records going back to 1891. The annual global average surface temperature anomaly in 2014, according to JMA, was 0.27 degrees Celsius, or 0.48 degrees Fahrenheit, above the 1981-2010 average, JMA said.

Annual global average temperature anomalies, showing 2014 ranking as the warmest year since 1891.

IMAGE: JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY

There are three other official data centers that have yet to report their numbers

There are three other official data centers that have yet to report their numbers, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. Each center uses different methods to analyze similar information, resulting in slightly different annual rankings.

However, the warmth in 2014 was so pronounced, particularly in every major ocean basin, that it is expected that each of the centers will rank the year among their top five warmest years, at least.

The second-warmest year in JMA's record was 1998, which featured a powerful El Nino event that helped drive global temperatures higher, followed by 2013, 2010, and 2005. Remarkably, 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred since the year 2000.

Separately, the UK Met Office announced that 2014 was the country's warmest year on record since comprehensive records began in 1910.

The warm year this year continues the long-term global warming trend which is due largely to manmade emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels, including coal and oil.

http://mashable.com/2015/01/05/japan-2014-warmest-year/