The global average temperature in 2011 was down from the record high hit in 2010 due to it being a La Nina year, which has a cooling influence, the World Meteorological Organization said Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations-sponsored COP17 climate change talks, the UN weather group said 2011 was the tenth warmest year on record. While the temperature was down from 2010, the WMO said it was higher than previous La Nina years.

The WMO said 2011 was 0.36 degrees Celsius warmer than the 2008 La Nina year, 0.27 degrees warmer than the 2000 year, and 0.12 degrees warmer than 1989 La Nina.

The group said the 13 warmest years have all occurred in the 15 years since 1997 and that their data shows the world is warming.

The group did acknowledge that there are limitations to their collection of data but stood by what it said as evidence for a warming planet.

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