2005 the 11th warmest year ever

3 January 2006

BRUSSELS — Meteorologically-speaking, 2005 will be remembered as a year of exceptionally high temperatures, Belgian weather bureau RMI said on Tuesday.

The RMI also said 2005 will go into the history books as a year with exceptionally high atmospheric pressure and very low wind speeds.

The average temperature last year was 11 degrees Celsius, something RMI described as “very abnormal”. Such weather only occurs once every decade.

RMI also said 2005 was the 11th warmest year on record and that the last cold snap of the year prevented 2005 from entering the top 10.

“But essentially, that was a difference of a couple of hundreds of a degree,” the meteorological bureau said.

The abnormally sunny winter of 2005 was mild, the spring was relatively mild and very abnormally high temperatures were recorded in the summer, especially in July.

Autumn was also very exceptionally mild. Last year’s autumnal weather pattern only takes place every 100 years, RMI said.

Subject: Belgian news