Australian Temps Higher Than Rest Of Globe

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Mean temperatures last year in Australia, rose faster than global averages in almost 100 years, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said. In its annual climate report, the bureau said 2006 had the warmest spring on record, with average temperatures up 1.42 degrees Celsius, the Financial Times said Wednesday. The mean temperature was 0.47 degrees C warmer than the 1961-90 average. The average global temperatures for 2006 were 0.42 degrees C above the 1961-90 average. The bureau said 2006 was consistent with long-term data, which showed mean temperatures in Australia increased faster than the global average since 1910. "Most scientists agree this is part of an enhanced greenhouse gas effect," said Neil Plummer, the bureau's senior climatologist. "Of Australia's 20 hottest years, 15 have occurred since 1980." While overall rainfall in 2006 aligned with historical averages, wet weather in the north and west balanced the drought in the southeast, where some areas suffered their driest year on record, the bureau said.