Winter 2007 warmest on record
The global average temperature was the warmest since records began in 1880 for the December-February period, says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). During the past century, global surface temperatures have increased at a rate near 0.11º F (0.06º C) per decade, but the rate of increase has been three times larger since 1976, or 0.32ºF (0.18ºC) per decade.