Global Warming is here and it has reached Australia faster than any other country. This is probably because it is one of the hottest and driest inhabited places on earth, explains Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, commenting on the Bureau of Meteorology’s annual climate statement.

According to the report, Australia's annual mean temperature for 2009 was 0.90 degrees Celsius above a 1961-90 average. This was second to a blistering summer in 2005. Overall, there has been a decadal mean temperature anomaly of 0.48 degree above the 1961-90 average. The climate change has resulted in unusual and deadly bush-fires, dust-storms, lingering rainfall deficiencies, areas of flooding and record-breaking heat waves.

The forecast for the future is also dismal. The bureau estimates an increase of 0.5 – 1 degree Celsius above average in 2010. "We're in the latter stages of an El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean and what that means for Australian and a global temperature is that 2010 is likely to be another very warm year - perhaps even the warmest on record", said bureau climatologist David Jones.

While most of Australia was facing heat waves and drought-like conditions, the northern parts were seeing the effects of El Nino. Floods are common occurrences in northern New South Wales and Queensland consistent with Global Warming.