2020 was one of the hottest years ever
and it brought to an end the warmest
decade ever recorded
that's the verdict of scientists from
five leading agencies around the world
the un said the findings showed the
planet was on course for a catastrophic
rise in temperatures this century
here's our science editor david shukman
a desperate rescue in indonesia after
torrential rain triggered landslides
earlier this week
and scientists say that even heavier
downpours are likely in future
as the world gets warmer
in some countries hotter drier
conditions are on the cards
the wildfires that struck australia last
year and nothing new in themselves
but the more human activity releases the
gases heating the atmosphere
the greater the risks of more violent
conditions
and although the pandemic lockdowns have
reduced
traffic they haven't made much
difference to the carbon dioxide
that keeps being added to the air year
on year we're increasing the amount of
carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere and notwithstanding
the pandemic we still
increased the carbon dioxide levels in
the atmosphere
by over two parts per million last year
and
as long as that continues to happen we
are putting our foot
on the accelerator of climate warming
over the past 170 years the average
global temperature has been monitored
by teams in britain america and other
countries
and although it's varied year by year
the recent trend has been really
dramatic
as the planet has heated up the result
the most recent decade was the hottest
on record
and we're also getting closer to an
increase of one and a half degrees
an internationally agreed limit that
climate scientists say
would be dangerous to cross
the risk is more extremes the world over
this village in the vale of glamorgan
was flooded over christmas after the
heaviest rainfall there
for 70 years and as temperatures rise
heat waves will become more common like
the one in the uk last summer
the met office says the latest records
are part of a pattern
2020 we're seeing temperatures
that are yet again giving us one of the
warmest years on record
um despite some factors such as
conditions in the tropical pacific
that in 2020 would have normally
suppressed temperatures
so will anything be done well joe biden
has promised that america will lead
a big push to tackle climate change
and china for the first time has
committed to going carbon neutral
negotiations are due in glasgow later
this year
there's a lot at stake david shukman bbc
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