根據美國太空總署哥大德太空研究院(Goddard Institute for Space Studies, GISS)指出，2000年二月為有史以來第四個最溫暖的二月，而三月則為第八個最溫暖的三月。
美國國家海洋和大氣局(NOAA)發佈：美國剛經歷了有史以來最溫暖的一至三月。此外，NOAA最新資料亦顯示，在其106年來的保存記錄中，1999年6月至2000年3月是同期記錄中最溫暖的時期。
NOAA指出，二月份幾乎整個北美洲及歐洲的地表溫度都較平常為高；在美國，有一半以上地區比平常溫暖許多，而不到百分之一的地區氣溫是大為降低的。最大的反常現象(註)出現在阿拉斯加，有許多地方溫度比平常上升了攝氏5度之多。（在這同時，世界各處的海洋溫度僅上升了攝氏0.28度）
二月份和三月份的異常氣象在非洲東南部造成豪雨並引致水災，災民大多集中在莫三比克中部和南部地區。辛巴威及波札那部份地區也遭受肆虐，整體而言有超過一百萬的人受到影響。
在加拿大，今年的森林火災來得較往年早，部份氣象專家將之歸咎於全球暖化所造成的效應。光是四月的第一個星期，安大略省西北部就發生11起森林火災，在加拿大西部則有數起草原火災。該國最嚴重的火災季有七起都是在過去十年中發生。（CBC News, 04.06.00）
最後，NOAA在網站上指出，3月8日侵襲威斯康辛州密瓦基市的龍捲風創下了自1840年以來，龍捲風季節最早到臨的記錄。
李奧尼翰森是前Liberty Tree Alliance網站的氣象專欄作家。她曾為環境保護基金共同創刊The Way Things Really Are : Debunking Rush Limbaugh on the Environment；同時她也在美國環境計畫中擔任氣候變動問答的主編
February 2000 was the fourth warmest February in the historical record, while March 2000 was the eighth warmest March, according to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that the U.S. has just experienced its warmest January-March period ever. What else? The agency's latest data also show that June 1999-March 2000 was the warmest June-March period to occur in its 106 years of record keeping.
NOAA notes that higher than normal land surface temperatures covered almost all of North America and Europe during February, with half of the United States much warmer than normal and less than 1 percent of the country much cooler than normal. The largest anamolies were recorded in Alaska, with temperatures averaging more than 5 degrees Celsius above the norm in many locations. (On the other hand, ocean temperatures throughout the world were just 0.28 degrees Celsius above average.)
In news of abnormal weather events, February and March brought devastating rains and floods to the southeastern portion of the African continent. Most of the flood victims were in central and southern Mozambique. Parts of Zimbabwe and Botswana were also devastated, with more than a million people affected overall.
In Canada, forest fires started earlier than usual this year, a trend some climate experts attribute to global warming. As of the first week in April, there were already 11 major forest fires burning in northwestern Ontario, and severe grass fires reported in western Canada. Seven of the nation's worst fire seasons have taken place in the last decade (CBC News, 04.06.00).
And finally, NOAA's website notes that a tornado that hit Milwaukee County, Wis., on March 8 set a record for the earliest beginning of the tornado season in the area since record keeping began in 1840.
Leonie Haimson was the climate columnist for the former Liberty Tree Alliance website. She co-authored The Way Things Really Are: Debunking Rush Limbaugh on the Environment for the Environmental Defense Fund, and edited Common Questions on Climate Change for the U.N. Environment Program.
更多詳細資料請見 : 美國太空總署哥大德太空研究院(NASA Goddard Institute for Space )Studies，地表氣溫分析(Surface Temparature Analysis) http://www.giss.nasa.gov/data/update/gistemp/
版權歸屬 Earth Day Network，環境信託協會
