Story: Climate change

Global temperatures 1880–2019

This graph illustrates the change in the earth’s annual surface temperature (combined land and sea temperature) over the last 139 years, from 1880-2019, relative to 1951-1980 average temperatures. Nineteen of the 20 warmest years have occurred since 2001, with the exception of 1998. The year 2016 ranks as the warmest on record.

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Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

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Data source: NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Credit: NASA/GISS

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How to cite this page:

Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, 'Climate change - Past climate', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/graph/7544/global-temperatures-1880-2019 (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Brett Mullan, Petra Pearce, Stephen Stuart, Ben Liley and Stacy Mohan, published 12 Jun 2006, reviewed & revised 20 Jul 2020