Scientists Say 2006 Hottest Year On Record In U.S.

January 10, 2007 -- The U.S. National Climate Data Center says 2006 was the warmest year ever recorded in the United States, and the sixth warmest worldwide.

The center said the average temperature in 2006 was 1.2 degrees Celsius above the 20th-century average.

Last week, Britain's Meteorological Office said this year is likely to be the hottest on record around the world, due to both greenhouse-gas emissions and El Nino, a phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that can upset normal weather patterns.

(AFP)

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