Weather is always an easy topic of conversation. The first eight months of 2010 tied the same period in 1998 for the warmest combined land and ocean surface temperature on record worldwide. Meanwhile, the June–August summer was the second warmest on record globally after 1998, and last month was the third warmest August on record. Separately, last month’s global average land surface temperature was the second warmest on record for August, while the global ocean surface temperature tied with 1997 as the sixth warmest for August.
Weather is always an easy topic of conversation. The first eight months of 2010 tied the same period in 1998 for the warmest combined land and ocean surface temperature on record worldwide. Meanwhile, the June–August summer was the second warmest on record globally after 1998, and last month was the third warmest August on record. Separately, last month’s global average land surface temperature was the second warmest on record for August, while the global ocean surface temperature tied with 1997 as the sixth warmest for August.
!ADVERTISEMENT!The monthly analysis from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA) National Climatic Data Center, which is based on records going back to 1880, has supplied the following weather/temperature highlights for 2010.
For January–August 2010, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature of 58.5 F tied with 1998 as the warmest January–August period on record. This value is 1.21 F above the 20th century average.
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for August 2010 was the third warmest on record at 61.2 F, which is 1.08 F above the 20th century average of 60.1 F. August 1998 is the warmest August on record and 2009 is the second warmest.
The August worldwide land surface temperature was 1.62 F above the 20th century average of 56.9 F — the second warmest August on record behind 1998.
Warmer-than-average conditions dominated land areas of the globe. The most prominent warm areas were in eastern Europe, eastern Canada and parts of eastern Asia. Cooler-than-average regions included Australia, central Russia and southern South America.
The August 2010 average temperature across China was 70.5 F, which is 2.0 F above the 1971-2000 average and the warmest August since 1961, according to the Beijing Climate Center.
Overall, the United Kingdom (UK) experienced its coolest August since 1993, according to the U.K. Met Office. Separately, England had its coolest August since 1993, Wales and Northern Ireland had their coolest August since 1994, and Scotland had its coolest August since 1998.
The worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.90 F above the 20th century average of 61.4 F and tied with 1997 as the sixth warmest August on record.
The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June–August 2010 was the second warmest on record, behind 1998, at 61.3 F , which is 1.15 F above the 20th century average of 60.1 F.
The June–August worldwide land surface temperature was 1.80 F (1.00 C) above the 20th century average of 56.9 F (13.8 C) — the warmest June–August on record, surpassing the previous record of 1.66 F (0.92 C) set in 1998.
Canada experienced its third warmest June–August since national records began in 1948, behind 1998, followed by 2006, according to Environment Canada. January–August 2010 also set a record for the warmest first eight months, surpassing the previous record set in 2006.
According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria and South Australia had their coolest June–August in 13 years, while New South Wales had its coolest June–August in a decade.
For further information: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100915_globalstats.ht
