Global warming slowdown probably due to natural cycles, study finds

Manmade warming in past decade has likely been offset by cooling from natural cycles in the Pacific and Atlantic - but effect will reverse in coming decades

Manmade global warming over the past decade has probably been partly offset by the cooling effect of natural variability in the Earth's climate system, a team of climate researchers have concluded.

The finding could help explain the slowdown in temperature rises this century that climate sceptics have seized on as evidence climate change has stopped, even though 14 of the 15 hottest years on record have happened since 2000.

The slowdown in no way invalidates that the burning of fossil fuels will increase Earth's surface temperature.