Climate Australia 2014: Third-hottest year on record

LAST year was Australia’s third-hottest on record, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

LAST year was Australia’s third-hottest on record, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

The BOM’s annual climate statement, released today, said 2014 was the third-warmest year since reliable climate records began in Australia in 1910.

Mean temperatures (taking into account both maximum and minimum temperatures) were 0.91C above the long-term average.

BOM Climate Information Services assistant director Neil Plummer said 2014 was a year that included six significant warm spells, or heatwaves, with a notable reduction in colder weather.

The warmest year on record occurred in 2013, when the mean temperature was 1.2C above the long-term average.

“Particularly warm conditions occurred in spring 2014, which was Australia’s warmest spring on record,” Mr Plummer said.

“El Nino-like effects were felt in drier and warmer conditions in much of eastern Australia during 2014.”

The World Meteorological Organization is collating data but believes the world experienced its hottest or among its hottest years in 2014, Mr Plummer said.