Australians just sweated through the planet's hottest year on record - and even worse is on the way.
International data from NASA and the US' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association released on Saturday confirmed 2014 as the world's hottest 12 months since record-keeping started in 1880.
And Professor Will Steffen of the Climate Council says incidences of heatwaves, bushfires and other extreme weather in Australia are increasing.
'Climate change is a major factor in the increase in extreme heat that Australians have experienced over the last few decades,' Prof Steffen said on Saturday.
'Hot days are happening more often while heatwaves are becoming hotter, longer and more frequent. This is worsening bushfire danger weather.
'The long-term warming trend has been driven by the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels.'
Through the year, the average global temperature was 0.69C above the 20th century average, beating the previous record-holding years of 2005 and 2010 by 0.04C.
The international data came a week after the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed Australia in 2014 experienced its third hottest year - and hottest decade - on record.
- See more at: http://www.skynews.com.au/news/national/2015/01/17/australia-facing-worse-weather-in-the-future.html#sthash.npoJ1GER.dpuf
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