Issued at 10:46am 19-Dec-2006
MetService Confirms WMO's Position on Global Warming
The MetService Chief Executive, John Lumsden, said today that the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) latest report
confirms the global warming trend.
"The WMO preliminary report on the global climate for 2006 has just been released and it confirms that 2006 is set to be
the sixth warmest year on record, continuing the trend of global warming. We are certain of this observation and would
like to point out that the views recently made public by Augie Auer in relation to climate change are his own, and in no
way do they reflect those of MetService."
Augie Auer was MetService's Chief Meteorologist until late 1998, but has had no association with the organisation since
then.
MetService Chief Meteorologist, Neil Gordon, added that MetService's position on climate change is consistent with the
United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2001 report.
"An increasing body of observations gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the weather and
climate system," said Dr.Gordon.
"During the 20th century, the global average surface temperature has increased by about 0.60C. In the past four decades,
temperatures have risen in the lowest 8 kilometres of the atmosphere. Snow cover and ice extent have decreased. Global
average sea level has risen and ocean heat content has increased. Snow, wind and rain storms are costing us more."
ENDS
Web sites for journalists:
http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/005.htm