I have seen several posts claiming that temperatures have been cooling over the past 10 years. Clearly this is not true.
The 160 year time frame is as far back as recorded temperature goes. That is the context of the Met Office's statement. They are highlighting the fact that the recorded temperature is showing that we are still on a worrying upward trend.
If you want to say that the planet was probably hotter at some time in the past then you won't get any argument from me. I'm sure it was. However there was a notable absence of human civilisation at that time.
