Confirmation from NASA, NOAA and UK Met Office that 2015 was the hottest year yet recorded. But 2016 is likely to exceed this record. Ocean heat uptake and warming sea surface temperatures continue apace. For Australia, 2015 was a fifth warmest year on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

For us here in Moreland and Melbourne it is likely to increase the probability of extreme heat events and heatwaves in both intensity and duration, and increase the chance of extreme rainfall events.

As a warmer atmosphere increases moisture carrying capacity, extreme rainfall events when they occurr, are also more likely to produce flash flooding. This can be particularly problematic in heavily built up urban areas like Moreland where runoff from torrential rain is exacerbated by all the roofs, pavements and roads causing urban flash flooding. Many of our stormwater drains were engineered in the 19th and early 20th century and were not engineered for the volume of water that can now occurr in extreme rainfall events.

Record global temperatures should spur us on to demand rapid mitigation action and expansion of renewables from State and Federal Government, as well as continued adaptation planning by all three levels of government.

Moreland Council have an important role to continue to play in supporting water sensitive urban design and heatwave adaptation with increasing urban tree canopy.

@davidappell Quoted in #Storify "2015 hottest year yet: 0.90°C above 20th-C ave as oceans continue to warm" https://t.co/7KB26xExZv

— John Englart EAM (@takvera) January 22, 2016

Here is the Bureau of Meteorology 2015 climate statement video: