Global temperature 2001

The year 2001 proved to be the second warmest year world-wide since records began in the mid-19th century, according to the UK Met. Office and the University of East Anglia.

Phil Jones, with the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia, noted that “the year was warm globally despite the remnants of the cold La Niña in the tropical Pacific.” Prospects for 2002 depend on whether or not a substantial El Niño event develops during the second half of the year.

Global surface air temperature: annual values as departures from the 1961-90 mean and smoothed curve.

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Nine of the ten warmest years in the global surface air temperature record have occurred since 1990, with global temperature rising by over 0.5 degrees Celsius over the past 100 years.

The year also saw the continuation of the drought that has affected central and southern Asia over the past three years. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have all been seriously affected.

Alongside the recent conflict, Afghanistan has been experiencing its worst drought since 1971, with half the population affected over the twelve months to June 2001. In Iran, the drought has caused agricultural losses of 2.8 million tonnes of wheat and 280,000 tonnes of barley.

Further information
The latest global temperature data are available from the Climatic Research Unit. Past data are also available.