While scientists predict 2020 will be one of the hottest years on record, Australian politician Craig Kelly has posted data he claims show temperatures have in fact been falling during what he dubbed "the year of global cooling".

In a Facebook post on December 21, the federal Liberal Party MP cited figures he said demonstrated average global temperatures have dropped over the past 12 months.

"On the 20th December 2019, the global temperature anomaly was +0.7°C (that's 0.7°C above the 1979-2000 base)," Mr Kelly said. "However, on the 20th December 2020, the average global temperature anomaly has fallen to just 0.2°C (above the 1979-2000 base).

"That's a FALL in average global temperatures of 0.5°C over the past 12 months (from 20 Dec 2019 to 20 Dec 2020). And this has happened during the same period that C02 levels have increased from 411.75 ppm to 414.76ppm - and increase of 3.01ppm [sic].

Read the full FactCheck article, featuring commentary by Prof Mark Howden