Australia records hottest decade ever

Each of past six decades warmer than the last, data show

SYDNEY: Australia has sweltered through its hottest decade on record, officials said yesterday, linking a rise in heatwaves, drought, dust storms and extreme wildfires with global warming.

The Bureau of Meteorology also said 2009 was the second warmest year since detailed records began in 1910, with an annual mean temperature almost one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) above average.