# 2000's Were Warmest Decade on Record

*Published:* 2009-12-08
*Author:* Sharyn Stein

The past decade was the warmest on record, according to a new analysis unveiled today at the international climate change summit in Copenhagen.

The [World Meteorological Association](http://www.wmo.int/pages/index_en.html) held a news conference in Copenhagen to announce a [provisional summary](http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_869_en.html) of their study.

They found that **the overall global warming trend is continuing and shows no signs of stopping**. The data shows our current decade is likely to be the warmest in the past 150 years, and:

- The decade of the 2000s (2000–2009) was warmer than the decade spanning the 1990s (1990–1999), which in turn was warmer than the 1980s (1980–1989)

Among their other findings:

- 2009 is likely to rank as the fifth warmest year worldwide since we started keeping records in 1850.
- Large parts of southern Asia and central Africa are likely to have the warmest year on record.
- Above-normal temperatures were recorded in most parts of the continents this year.
- Only North America (United States and Canada) experienced conditions that were cooler than average.
- This year, Arctic sea ice extent during the melt season ranked the third lowest, after the lowest and second-lowest records set in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

The final figures will be published in March 2010.

The [*New York Times*](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/science/earth/09climate.html?_r=2&hp) has a good article on the subject if you want to read more.