Temperatures around the globe in 2008 are expected to be cooler than last year. The reason: a powerful La Niña. La Niña is basically a period of cooler sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. The graphic below shows a recap of temperatures in the United States; much of the western half of the country experienced below normal temperatures.

The effect of the cooler water impacts the entire globe by lowering temperatures worldwide. This La Niña has also contributed to the heavy rains in Australia, and the cold temperatures and heavy snow in China. According to The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this weather phenomenon is expected to continue into the summer.

With this recent prediction of cooler global temperatures, some scientists are wondering whether this means that global warming has peaked. They argue that the earth may actually be more resilient to green house gasses than recently thought. On the other hand, the WMO says this is not the case. Temperatures in 2008 are still expected to be well above average for the century and that the temperature trend is still warming despite the slightly cooler temperatures expected this year.