Cool times - but warmer climes

Global warming is continuing - despite cooler temperatures last year, according to new figures released by the Meteorological Office yesterday.

The temperature last year was about 0.21C warmer than the 30-year average, which is around 11C. But it is still some way behind the record change of +0.38C in 1995.

The 0.21C change may not seem remarkable, but a Met Office spokesman, Andy Yeatman, said: "Five degrees from one day to the next is neither here not there. But last time the average global temperature was five degrees lower, we had an ice age. So 0.21 of a degree is quite a significant change."