WORLD

The increase in global and European mean temperature, observed over the last decades, is unusual in terms of both magnitude and rate of change.

The global (land and ocean) average temperature increase up to 2006 was 0.76 �C compared to pre-industrial. Eleven of the last 12 years (1995 -2006) rank among the 12 warmest years in the instrumental record (since 1850), and 2005 and 1998 were the warmest two years than any year on record.

The rate of global average temperature change has increased from 0.08�C per decade over last 100 years, to 0.13 �C per decade in last 50 years and 0.23�C in last decade.

The best estimates for projected global warming from 1990 to the end of this century range from 1.8 to 4.0�C (likely range 1.1 to 6.4�C) for different scenarios which do not assume that more action is taken to limit emissions.

EUROPE

Europe has warmed more than the global average. The increase for the European land area and European land & ocean area has been 1.16�C and 0.95�C, respectively, comparing the trend towards 2006 with pre-industrial times. The warmest year in European land has been 2000, closely followed by 2006 and 2002.

The temperature changes has been largest in South-Western, central and north-eastern Europe and in mountainous regions.

In the past 100 years, cold days, cold nights and frost have became less frequent, while extreme high temperature as hot days, hot nights, and heat waves have became more frequent.

The annual average temperature for Europe is projected to rise this century 1-5.5�C (best estimate) with the greatest warming over eastern Europe and Scandinavia in winter, and over south-western and Mediterranean Europe in summer.

For Europe as whole it is very likely that hot extremes, heat waves, and heavy precipitation events will continue to become more frequent and cold events less frequent.