Climate of 2002
June in Historical Perspective

National Climatic Data Center
15 July 2002
Global Analysis / Global Hazards / United States / U.S. Drought / Extreme Events
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.

Global Highlights:

  • Global average combined land and sea surface temperature was the second warmest on record for June
  • January-June 2002 global temperature was the second warmest such 6-month period on record
  • June temperatures were 3-5°C (5.4-9°F) warmer than average over much of Europe, eastern Asia and parts of the U.S.
  • Above average precipitation during June occurred across parts of interior China and Europe, with drier than average conditions observed from the Philippines, Taiwan and across much of Japan
  

Contents of this Section:
This is a break in the document The data presented in this report are preliminary. Ranks and anomalies may change as more complete data are received and processed. The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page. This is a break in the document

Top of Page Introduction

The June 2002 mean temperature was above the 1988-2002 average across Europe, much of the United States and the eastern half of Asia as shown in the adjacent map of blended satellite and in-situ data. Much cooler than average temperatures occurred across most of Argentina, southern Chile and parts of central Russia. The mean position of upper level ridges and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies), are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. Warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures were observed throughout the tropical Pacific during June, as weak El Niño conditions developed. Global Blended Temperature in June 2002
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Global Temperature Anomalies in June 2002
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June temperature anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network data set of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period also show the warmer than average temperatures across much of the United States, Europe and the Mediterranean region and much of eastern Asia. Cooler than average temperatures were observed over much of Chile and Argentina .
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Top of PageTemperature

  • For June 2002, the global average land and ocean surface temperature was 0.50°C (0.90°F) above the 1880-2001 average, ranking as the second warmest June on record
  • The warmest June occurred 4 years ago during the last El Niño episode
  • The June land surface temperature average was second warmest on record, 0.75°C (1.35°F) above average
  • Globally averaged ocean surface tempeatures were 0.39°C (0.70°F) above the 1880-2001 mean, or third warmest
    		• Global Temp Anomalies in June 2002
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    • The global land and ocean surface temperature average (January-June 2002) was the second warmest such 6-month period in the 1880-2002 record, 0.64°C (1.15°F) above the long-term mean and 0.05°C (0.09°F) cooler than during the El Niño year of 1998
    • However, land areas were warmest on record for the 6-month period from January-June 2002, or 1.14°C (2.05°F) above the 1880-2001 average
    		Global Temp Anomalies in January-June 2002
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    • Serial monthly global surface temperature departures with respect to a 1971-2000 mean are shown in the figure to the right
    • The recent return to record or near record temperature departures is evident, and globally averaged surface temperatures (land and ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the last 74 consecutive months
    		Global Temperature Timeseries
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    Top of Page Precipitation

  • During June 2002, much above average precipitation fell across interior China, parts of Europe and across Micronesia
  • Drier than average weather prevailed across coastal China, the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan, as well as parts of the central and western United States
  • Additional regional analysis can be found on the Global Hazards page
    		• Global Precip Anomalies in June 2002
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    Top of Page Microwave Sounding Unit Data

    Lower Tropospheric Temperature time series
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  • Temperatures in the lowest 8km (5 miles) of the troposphere were 0.20°C (0.36°F) above average during June 2002, or the third warmest June in the satellite period of record (1979 to present)
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    Lower Stratospheric Temperature time series
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  • June 2002 temperatures were below average in the lower stratosphere, with a departure of -0.32°C (-0.58°F)
  • June temperatures in the lower stratosphere have been below average each year since 1993. The overall cooling trend is consistent with the response to losses in stratospheric ozone while the warm anomalies in 1992 are due to the warming influence of the Mount Pinatubo eruption which occurred in the Philippines in June 1991.
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    Lower tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperature data are collected by NOAA's TIROS-N polar-orbiting satellites and adjusted for time-dependent biases by NASA and the Global Hydrology and Climate Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

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      For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in June, see the Global Hazards page .

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    References:

    Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.

    For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:

    Climate Services Division
    NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
    151 Patton Avenue, Room 120
    Asheville, NC 28801-5001
    fax: 828-271-4876
    phone: 828-271-4800
    email: ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
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    For questions about this report, please contact:

    David Easterling
    NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
    151 Patton Avenue
    Asheville, NC 28801-5001
    fax: 828-271-4328
    email: David.Easterling@noaa.gov
    -or-
    Jay Lawrimore
    NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
    151 Patton Avenue
    Asheville, NC 28801-5001
    fax: 828-271-4328
    email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov

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