CO2 concentration set for biggest annual rise, fuelled by Australian bushfires

FILE PHOTO: Charred trees are pictured in a patch of forest burnt during the recent bushfires near Batemans Bay, New South Wales, Australia, January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere this year is likely to show one of the largest annual rises since measurements began in 1958, partly fuelled by Australian bushfires, according to research by Britain's Met Office.

The concentration of CO2 is expected to peak above 417 parts per million (ppm) this May, while the year's average is expected to be around 414 ppm, up to nearly 3 ppm above the average for last year.