"The current decade likely ranks as the hottest since temperature records began in the 1850s, the U.N. World Meteorological Organization announced today. 2009 may rank as the fifth-warmest year on record, the WMO said, although the final rank won't be available until next year. 1998 holds the rank as the hottest year. It was characterized by an unusually strong El Nino, a giant patch of warm water along the equator in the Pacific that appears periodically and can strongly affect the wind currents flowing over it. The announcement was made at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where delegates are meeting for the second day of a two-week session aimed at reaching agreement on an international climate treaty." - Steven Perez from Bookmarklet