A report released by the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to coincide with the Copenhagen Climate Summit says 2009 is likely to be the fifth warmest year on record and the first decade of this century is the hottest since record-keeping began in 1850.

WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud says there is no doubt that planet Earth is in a period of warming. Mr Jarraud pointed to a number of extreme weather events including Australia's third warmest year since records began, China's worst drought in five decades, the extremely poor monsoon season in India and a major drought in Kenya.
 

He also highlighted extreme flooding in various countries and noted that 2009 marked the third lowest summer Arctic sea ice on record. The two previous lows were recorded in 2008 and 2007.