If you look at the overall scenario, there's no doubt about it. Global warming is a reality, despite the exceptional snowfalls in the Alps and the ice that has hit North America in recent weeks. This was stated by the World Meteorological Agency (Wmo), reporting that 2013 was the sixth hottest year since 1850. More importantly, thirteen of the fourteen warmest years occurred in this century that has just begun.
The primacy goes to 2010 and 2005, the hottest years in memory, followed by 1998. Statistics and the mercury column allow no uncertainties: every decade since 1970 has been hotter than the previous decade. The UN agency believes that the trend will not change, because greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase. Michel Jarraud, secretary general of the WMO, says that "the trend is undeniable and the record production of greenhouse gases indicates that global temperatures will continue to rise for generations to come".
In 2013, the average temperature of the terraqueous area was 0,5 °C higher than the average for the thirty-year period 1961-1990. The figures on which the WMO bases its conclusions are those provided by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the collaboration between the University of Eats Anglia (UEA) and the UK Met Office. As for the detection system, it is admittedly facilitated by Google Earth, which according to the EU allows a simple, clear and accessible analysis at all times.
