The pace of global warming appears to be slowing, with the average temperature in the world in 2008 registering a rise of 0.2 degree compared with the average rise between 1971 and 2000, according to preliminary data released Monday by the Meteorological Agency.
This was the 10th largest margin of increase from an immediate benchmark average since 1891, the year in which the oldest data are available, the agency said.
The 2008 average for Japan rose 0.41 degree, the 13th biggest gain since 1898, the agency said.
But with the mercury standing at high levels in mid- to high-altitude regions in Asia and Europe, the agency said it believes there is no change in the long-term trend of warmer temperatures.
It attributed this year's slowdown to the La Nina phenomenon, which lowers temperatures in some parts of the world.
The margin of increase was the lowest since 2001 for the world and the margin for Japan was 0.44 degree lower than last year, which marked the fourth highest rise in history.
The agency computes averages of the temperatures of 1,200 locations around the world where historical data are available. Japan's data are based on temperatures of 17 locations where urbanization is considered to have less of an impact than other places.
The agency publishes only margins of change and does not publish average temperatures of specific locations.