cancel2 2022
Canceled
The chart would be the same whether actual temperature or temperature anomaly. It doesn't change the temperature observations, just the baseline against which the temperature observations are measured. So . . . yeah. Good point.
What the Met Office is saying is that the average mean temperatures are back to 1997 levels. They explain it by saying that La Niña in the Pacific is depressing worldwide temperatures.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/30/met_office_temp_statement_for_durban/
Peter Stott is the Met Office's expert on attributing climate change to anthropogenic and natural causes, so no bias there then.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/our-scientists/climate-monitoring