The United States’ weather agency reported that during 2006, the amount of carbon dioxide and of the nitrous oxide, the main greenhouse gasses in the Earth’s atmosphere, has reached a record high level, as it hastens the global warming.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has made measurements that showed that the global average concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) were the highest ever recorded.

The third gas as importance in global warming is methane, which remained at a steady level between 2005 and 2006.

"In 2006, globally averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached their highest levels ever recorded," the WMO said.

CO2 contributes the most to the global warming, with 87 percent over the last ten years, but the study has shown that during the last five years it contributed with 91 percent, while the level of N2O rose by 0.25 percent only in 2006. The levels have reached 320 parts per billion, almost 19 percent more than the pre-industrial times.

Geir Braathen, WHO’s senior scientific officer declared that: "Atmospheric growth rates in 2006 of these gases are consistent with recent years," which could cause floods, droughts, rising ocean levels and powerful storms.

Another report by a U.N. expert panel last week showed that the average temperatures have risen 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the last 100 years, while the last 11 years have been among the warmest since 1850.

A meeting of more than 190 countries’ officials will meet in December in order to reach another global treaty referring to the fight against global warming that would succeed the Kyoto Protocol.