Global Climate Highlights-Temperature Anomalies, August-2012

The average global temperature across land and oceans during August 2012 was 0.62C (1.12F) above the 20th century average of 15.6C (60.1F) and ranked as the fourth warmest August since records began in 1880. Monthly global temperatures anomalies have been among the five highest for their respective months for five consecutive months, since April 2012. August 2012 marks the 36th consecutive August and 330th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average. The last below-average August temperature was August 1976 and the last below-average temperature for any month was February 1985. At the hemispheric scale, the Northern and Southern Hemisphere each also ranked as fourth warmest on record.

Over land, the monthly average global surface temperature for August was 0.90C (1.62F) above the long-term average, tying with 2001 and 2011 as the second warmest August in the 133-year period of record, behind 1998. The Southern Hemisphere land tied with 2005 as the third warmest (0.86C / 1.55F above average) while the Northern Hemisphere land ranked seventh warmest (0.91C / 1.64F above average). The greatest anomalous warmth occurred across far eastern Canada, southern Greenland, central and southern Europe, western Kazakhstan, Japan, Western Australia, and Paraguay. Parts of Siberia were notably cooler than average.

Considering global land surfaces only, JuneAugust 2012 was record warm, at 1.03C (1.85F) above average. The highest anomalies occurred across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including most of the contiguous United States and Canada, southern and eastern Europe, Kazakhstan, and eastern Siberia. Even with cooler-than-average temperatures in Alaska and northern Europe, the Northern Hemisphere observed its alltime warmest summer on record. And even with below-average temperatures across much of southern South America and northern and eastern Australia, the Southern Hemisphere observed its tenth warmest winter on record.

For the period JuneAugust, the average global temperature across land and oceans was 0.64C (1.15F) above the 20th century average, making this the third warmest such period on record. It was the second warmest JuneAugust in the Northern Hemisphere and ninth warmest in the Southern Hemisphere.

ENSO-neutral conditions continued during August across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, with average sea surface temperatures in this region trending toward a three-month average of 0.5C (0.9F), the threshold for El Nio conditions. Spurred by the warming temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, the average global ocean temperature rose during August to 0.52C (0.94F) above average, tying with 2006 as the fifth warmest August on record. This is also the warmest anomaly for any month since July 2010, the month when the La Nia conditions that dominated from the latter half of 2010 through early 2012 first emerged. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, El Nio conditions will likely emerge during September 2012.

With the transition of La Nia early in the year to ENSO-neutral conditions, the average 2012 year-to-date global temperature for land and oceans combined has increased each month since February. For the year-to-date (JanuaryAugust), the temperature was 0.56C (1.01F) above the 20th century average, marking the ninth warmest such period on record. The highest departures from average occurred across southern Greenland, northern Russia, and much of the United States and Canada, where record warmth for the period occurred. The coolest anomalies occurred over Alaska, the northeastern Pacific Ocean, central Asia, and most of Australia. Separately for the period, the average temperature above land surfaces was sixth warmest (0.95C / 1.71F above average), while the average sea surface temperature ranked as eleventh warmest (0.42C / 0.76F above average).

For a comprehensive list of El Nio impacts globally, please visit NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory El Nio Impacts page. Information and image source: NOAA