CLIMATE – Last year “shattered” temperature records according to the state of the climate report released by the World Meteorological Organisation this week in Switzerland.

A stronger-than-usual El Niño weather pattern pushed temperatures into uncharted territory all over the world, with climate change feeding the El Niño.

Averaged across the globe, temperatures were 0.76 degrees Celsius above the 20th Century average, and a whole degree above the 19th Century average.

The dramatic temperature rise was foreshadowed by a preview report in November, but the final figures show an even higher leap than forecast.

The report is one of several from science agencies across the world that have been released in recent months describing the alarming extent of global warming.

The increase in temperatures is largely a result of human activity releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that trap heat from the Sun here on Earth.

In December last year world leaders met in Paris and agreed to a new treaty to limit the release of climate changing greenhouse gases.

The treaty will be open for ratification in April.

“Today the Earth is already 1°C hotter than at the start of the twentieth century. We are halfway to the critical 2°C threshold. National climate change plans adopted so far may not be enough to avoid a temperature rise of 3°C, but we can avert the worst-case scenarios with urgent and far-reaching measures to cut carbon dioxide emissions,” WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said.

“Our planet is sending a powerful message to world leaders to sign and implement the Paris Agreement on climate change and cut greenhouse gases now before we pass the point of no return,” he said.

South America and Asia had their hottest years on record, the USA, Africa and Europe had their second-warmest years.

Australia had a comparatively mild year notching up only a top five result.

Climate change and El Niño have a complicated relationship, with each feeding the other.

Last year, the El Niño weather pattern took hold, which usually pushes temperatures higher.

But the WMO said in 2015 climate change made the El Niño the strongest ever.

In addition to the sweaty temperatures, the strong El Niño meant little rainfall for eastern and southern Australia.

El Niño also promotes cyclones in the north west Pacific, which did experience an above-average year for typhoons.

While Antarctic ice was relatively abundant in 2015, the Arctic failed to live up to its frosty reputation – at one point registering above freezing temperatures near the north pole in the middle of winter.

In 2015 the most the sea ice grew to was 14.54 million square kilometres - that is 1.10 million kilometres below the 1981-2010 average.

- ABC