According to records, 2005 has been hotter than any other year since records began, with the global temperature already slightly warmer than 1998, the current record holder.

It was also the worst Atlantic hurricane season, with the most named tropical storms (26), most hurricanes (14), most top-category hurricanes (5) and most expensive hurricane damage.

This year also saw the most Arctic melting and is the driest for many decades in the Amazon, while higher temperatures in the Caribbean led to extensive bleaching of coral reefs.

Climate researchers say night-time temperatures have been increasing for two-thirds of the earth's land mass since 1950. They say the rise is directly linked to increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases generated by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels.