A Nasa thermal satellite image showing the world's Arctic surface temperature trends during autumn between 1981 and 2008. Ice coverage in the Polar regions has been declining rapidly in recent years.
This year is set to be the 10th warmest on record, say meteorologists.
Climate researchers in the UK said that temperatures in 2011 were nearing the top of records dating back to 1850.
This despite a 'strong and persistent' La Nina weather system in the Pacific - an effect which should lead to lower temperatures across the world.
The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released the figures based on three sets of independent data, including a joint one from the University of East Anglia (UAE) - currently mired in controversy - and the Met Office, at a climate change conference in Durban this week.
However, only last week researchers at UAE were criticised for colluding with politicians to ‘massage’ evidence of man-made climate change after 5,000 emails were leaked online.
The WMO released the figures as 200 nations meet in Durban, South Africa, for the latest UN talks on agreeing a deal to tackle climate change.
The organisation, whose data also includes figures from the US, put the global average temperature at 0.41C above the 1961 to 1990 average of 14C, making it the 10th warmest on record.
According to the WMO, the 13 warmest years on record have all occurred in the 15 years between 1997 and 2011.
The Met Office/UAE also suggested a long-term warming trend in the global climate.
Their data shows the average global temperature for January to October 2011 was 14.36C, 0.36C above the 1961 to 1990 long-term average of 14C.
The WMO's final figure is an average of the three sets of data.
According to their researchers, each decade since the 1950s has been warmer than the previous decade, and last year was one of the warmest on record.
气象学家说，今年将是有史以来第十个最热年。
英国气候研究员说，2011年的气温将逼近1850年来的最高纪录。
尽管太平洋发生的“猛烈、持续性”的拉尼娜气候现象使世界范围内出现降温，但还是难撼今年的热度。
世界气象组织本周在南非德班气候大会上公布了这份报告，基于三组独立的数据得出，包括目前身陷纠纷的东安格利亚大学和英国气象局联合得出的数据。
就在上周，5000封电子邮件在网上被泄露后，东安格利亚大学的研究人员因为和政界人士串通窜改人为导致气候变化的证据而遭到批评。
世界气象组织在有200个国家参加的南非德班气候大会上发布了这些数据。这次大会是联合国为达成应对气候变化的协议召开的最新会谈。
世界气象组织的数据还包括来自美国的数据，今年的全球平均气温比1961年至1990年的全球平均气温（14摄氏度）高出0.41摄氏度，成为了有史以来第十个最热年。
世界气象组织的数据显示，记录在案的13个最热年都是在1997年到2011年的15年间发生的。
世界气象组织和东安格利亚大学还指出，全球气候将呈现长期变暖的趋势。
他们的数据显示，2011年1月至10月的全球平均气温为14.36摄氏度，比1961年至1990年14摄氏度的平均气温高出0.36摄氏度。
世界气象组织的最终数据是这三组数据的平均值。
他们的研究人员称，自20世纪50年代以来的每个十年都比前一个十年要热，去年是记录在案的最热年之一。
mire: 使陷入困境
massage: 窜改；改动，修改