THE HOTTEST PERIOD on record has been officially confirmed, with the world experiencing its hottest five-years from 2013 through 2017, according to new climate data released today. Ed note: this does not mean everywhere is uniformly hotter. It means more heat energy in the atmospheric systems governing climate leading to more extreme and unpredictable weather, both hot and cold.

The Climate Council’s 2017: Record-breaking Year for Heat and Extreme Weather report coincides with release of climate data from peak climate observation body the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Climate Councillor and international climate scientist Professor Will Steffen said that the global temperature averaged over the last five years (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) has been confirmed as the highest ever on record for any five-year period. This record is part of a sharp, long-term upswing in global temperatures, with 17 out of the 18 years hottest years on record all occurring in this century.

“Just like dominoes, temperature and extreme weather records have toppled one after the other around the globe in 2017,” he said.

“Here in Australia, we are seeing the effects of intensifying climate change first hand. We’ve seen records reach disappointing new heights in just 12 months, with more than 260 heat and low rainfall records smashed throughout one season (winter) alone.”

He said heatwaves are becoming more apparent with some regions in New South Wales and South Australia experiencing daytime temperatures nearing 50 degrees last summer.

“Severe heatwaves are silent killers, causing more deaths since the 1890s than bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, floods and severe storms combined.”