This year will likely rank among the 10 hottest years on record, the World Meteorological Organisation has announced.

Hong Kong Observatory figures show the average temperature from January to November 2009 in Hong Kong was 24.1 degrees Celsius, ranking fifth-highest since 1884.

Of the warmest years on record, six occurred in this century, including 2001 (24.1 degrees), 2002 (24.4 degrees), 2003 (24.1 degrees), 2006 (24 degrees), 2007 (24 degrees), and 2009 (24.1 degrees).

Due to global warming and local urbanisation, the average temperature from January to November for the 2000-09 period was 24 degrees, the highest decadal average on record, the observatory said.

The average temperatures for the same period for 1980-89 and 1990-99 were 23.4 and 23.8 degrees.