Extreme temperatures marked the first decade of the century, which was considered to be the hottest ever recorded and killed more than 370,000 people worldwide, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
“Global warming has accelerated between 1971 and 2001 and the rate at which it grew between 1991 and 2010 is unprecedented,” said Michel Jarraud, director of the organisation.
The first decade of the century was also the most humid since 1901.
He believes this increase is due to the greenhouse effect. It is changing the global climate and directly affecting the environment and the oceans “which are absorbing the heat and the carbon dioxide.”
Floods were the most common meteorological phenomenon of the decade. However, due to a more efficient alert system, the number of people killed by these natural disasters decreased 43% in the first decade of the millennium.
Still, the rise in the heat waves led to the demise of 370,000 people, a 20% increase of deaths related to the temperatures during the last decade when compared to the last decade of the 20th century.
The report includes data from 139 countries, meaning that 94% of nations had their hottest decade between 2001 and 2010.
