New government figures for the global climate show that 2010 was the wettest year in the historical record, and it tied 2005 as the hottest year since record-keeping began in 1880.
The new figures confirm that 2010 will go down as one of the more remarkable years in the annals of climatology. It featured prodigious snowstorms that broke records in the United States and Europe; a record-shattering summer heat wave that scorched Russia; and strong floods that drove people from their homes in places like Pakistan, Australia and Tennessee.
It was the 34th year running that global temperatures have been above the 20th-century average; the last below-average year was 1976. The figures show that nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since the beginning of 2001.
