2010 could be world’s warmest year on record

WASHINGTON - 2010 could finish as the warmest year on record, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said.

The federal agency said the January-October period was equally as warm as the first 10 months of 1998, which had the highest combined land and ocean surface temperature of any year based on NOAA records dating back to 1880.

Both years had a worldwide average temperature of 14.73 degrees Celsius through the first 10 months.

The La Nina climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean is a significant factor in global ocean temperatures, NOAA said.