Warm seas drive up global remperatures

Unusually warm seas helped drive annual global temperatures to a record level in 2014 and are likely to ensure this year has a similarly hot start, climate experts say.

Two leading US agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA, have declared last year was the hottest, based on data going back to 1880, adding to an earlier confirmation by Japan.

Globally, average land and sea-surface temperatures were 0.69 degrees above the 20th century average, "easily surpassing" the previous high set in 2005 and 2010 by 0.04 degrees, NOAA said.

Victorian news in the Melbourne Age headed: “Warm oceans make 2014 the hottest year on record, Mildura Victoria's hottest town” gives these details.