世界气象组织在哥本哈根气候峰会期间公布的一组数据表明，2000年至2009年可能是1850年以来最热的10年，即将过去的2009年可能在历史最热年份中排名第五，而2010年则可能成为史上最热年份。据气象专家预测，受自然天气形态和全球变暖的影响，2010年全球平均气温将普遍上升约1华氏度（相当于0.6摄氏度）.为应对"气候怀疑论"者的质疑，世界气象组织从100个科研组织收集了1700个签名向气候峰会方面声明全球变暖数据的真实性，并指出全球变暖主要是由人类活动导致的。

Next year will be the hottest on record, the Met Office has predicted, as scientists released the latest figures supporting evidence for climate change.

A new forecast for 2010 predicted it will be almost 1F （0.6C） higher than the long term average of 57F （14C） across the globe as a result of natural weather patterns and global warming.

The figures, presented at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, come as scientists released a statement claiming global warming is "unequivocal" following 'Climategate'.

Climate sceptics allege that emails stolen from the University of East Anglia show scientists were willing to manipulate the data to show global warming.

In response the Met Office has gathered 1,700 signatures from 100 scientific institutions including the Royal Society.

It reads: "We, members of the UK science community, have the utmost confidence in the observational evidence for global warming and the scientific basis for concluding that it is due primarily to human activities."

Earlier in the week the Met Office revealed that the noughties will be the warmest decade on record and 2009 will be the fifth warmest since the 1850s.

The new forecast predicted 2010 will be warmer than 1998, that was 0.9F （0.5C） above average and the hottest year on record so far. The warming is expected because of the El Nino, an atmospheric phenomenon over the Pacific, which warms the Southern Oceans.

The Met Office said the latest figures are also further evidence of the world warming.

However sceptics point out that the Met Office said 2007 would be the warmest on record, but it was not in the top five. The weather service also drew criticism for claiming this year's wet summer would be a "BBQ" summer.

Lord Lawson of Blaby pointed out that temperatures have been constant since 2001 and accused the Met Office of "misrepresenting" the data to support the argument for global warming.

"As a result of the absence of any recorded 21st century warming trend, the formulation now favored by climate campaigners is that the last decade has been the warmest since records began," he said. "It is rather as if the world's population had stopped rising and all the demographers could say was that global population had been the highest ever recorded."