Global warming stopped 15 years ago - then stopped the growth of average annual temperature, says the report, prepared by the UK Meteorological Agency.

Sensational data released last week and is based on measurements from 3 thousand meteorological stations show that since the beginning of 1997 to August 2012 average annual temperature remained on the same level, whereas in the previous period from 1980 to 1996, she continuously grew. Before that, for about 40 years, the temperature was stable and even declined, the report said.

Abnormally warm in the last 15 years was only the 2010-th year. However, in 2011 and the first eight months of the 2012 was much cooler, resulting in a tendency to increase in temperature was leveled, writes The Daily Mail.

British meteorological data shows "a profound mistake" of the computer models used to predict future warming - commented on the report, climate scientist, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology Judith Curry.

"Climate models are complex, but they are imperfect and incomplete. Natural factors (such as the long-term cycles of ocean water temperatures and solar activity) were used in order to get the model signal increased greenhouse effect," said Curry.

However, there are those who reacted to the report with skepticism. As noted climatologist Phil Jones of the University of East Anglia, 15 or 16 years is too short a time for studies to draw any conclusions. Although Jones admitted that he and his colleagues have not yet understand the impact of such factors as long-term cycles of changes in ocean temperature and solar activity, he expressed confidence that the current decade will be much warmer than the previous 20 years. "I still think that this decade will be about 0.17 degrees warmer than the previous one, which was warmer than the 1990-ies," said the scientist.

It is worth noting that the concerns of Jones and other skeptics reinforce recent data on the area of ice in the Arctic now it is 4.10 million square kilometers. For comparison: in September 2007, the figure was 4.17 million square kilometers. Thus, over the last three decades, the level of ice in the Arctic has decreased by 13%, and decreases not only the area of ice cover is reduced ice thickness.

While recent data from the Arctic weather observations suggest that the planet is heating up even stronger than previously thought. In the period between 1998 and 2010, the temperature at the North pole increased by 0.11 degrees, which is 0.04 degrees higher than expected. A General from 1850 air warmed by about 0.75 degrees, and the ten warmest years occurred in recent years.