The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has reported that 2015 is likely to be the hottest year ever. A strong El Nino in the Pacific and human-induced global warming is responsible for a massive increase in Earth’s surface temperature like never before. The bad news is 2016 might be even hotter.

News.com.au reports that the announcement comes as Sydney is sweating due to a scorching heat that might take temperatures to as high as 38 degrees Celsius. The Queensland government has declared that above 86 per cent of its state is in drought. It is also reported that strong winds and extreme hot and dry conditions are making it worse for the people in South Australia as the deadly bushfires continue. Last week, West Australia too suffered a devastating bushfire.

“2015 is likely to be the hottest year on record, with ocean surface temperatures at the highest level since measurements began. It is probable that the 1C threshold will be crossed. This is all bad news for the planet,” WMO’s secretary-general, Michel Jarraud, told a press conference in Geneva.

He added that the global surface temperature of earth is one degree Celsius higher compared to pre-industrial levels.

The Telegraph reports that the warning has been issued ahead of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP 21, so that world leaders discuss and finalise an immediate action to reduce temperature increase. Jarraud has urged governments to take immediate action to modify the course of climate change.

"Greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing climate change, can be controlled. We have the knowledge and the tools to act. We have a choice. Future generations will not,” Jarraud said.

The Prince of Wales is scheduled to make a keynote speech during the talks. Recently BBC News reported that Prince Charles believes that climate change might have been the reason for the civil war in Syria. According to him, increasing competition for scarce resources created by manmade activities and drought has played a crucial role and has compelled people to leave their homeland and cross Europe.

“It's only in the last few years that the Pentagon have actually started to pay attention to this. It has a huge impact on what is happening,” he said, according to BBC.

According to a five-year analysis, 2011-2015 has been the hottest period and these years have seen extreme weather situations and devastations due to climate change.

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