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Global Highlights:
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Contents of this Section: |
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.
Introduction| The two maps below use
anomalies that were calculated from the Global Historical
Climatology Network (GHCN) data set of land surface stations using
a 1961-1990 base period. Both maps indicate above average
temperatures in the central U.S., most of Europe and Japan while
cooler than average temperatures occurred in northern Australia and
northern Argentina during winter and February 2004. The mean position of upper level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies during February 2004 and December-February) are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. For all Global map products see the Climate Monitoring Global Products page. |
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| February | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Land Ocean Land and Ocean |
+1.08°C (+1.94°F) +0.43°C (+0.77°F) +0.62°C (+1.12°F) |
5th warmest 2nd warmest 4th warmest |
1998
(+0.1.61°C/2.90°F) 1998 (+0.53°C/0.95°F) 1998 (+0.85°C/1.53°F) |
| Northern
Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean |
+1.19°C (+2.14°F) +0.44°C (+0.79°F) +0.74°C (+1.33°F) |
7th warmest 2nd warmest 5th warmest |
2002
(+2.01°C/3.62°F) 1998 (+0.55°C/1.00°F) 1998 (+1.10°C/1.98°F) |
| Southern
Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean |
+0.38°C (+0.68°F) +0.47°C (+0.85°F) +0.45°C (+0.81°F) |
15th warmest 5th warmest 4th warmest |
1983
(+0.90°C/1.62°F) 1998 (+0.56°C/1.01°F) 1983 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) |
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Precipitation| The maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN data set of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. The map to the left is precipitation anomalies measured in millimeters, the map to the right is the percentage of average (1961-1990) precipitation. During December - February 2004, much above average precipitation fell across the Mississippi Valley in the U.S., eastern Europe and Indonesia. Below average precipitation was observed in Iberian Peninsula, Ireland and India. |
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ENSO SST Analysis |
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Troposphere| The tables below contain mid-tropospheric conditions for February 2004 and December - February. These temperatures are for the atmospheric layer centered in the mid-troposphere (approximately 2-6 miles above the Earth's surface) but also includes a portion of the lower stratosphere. (The MSU channel used to measure mid-tropospheric temperatures receives about 25 percent of its signal above 6 miles.) Analysis of the satellite record that began in 1979 indicates that global temperatures are increasing in the mid-troposphere, but the magnitude of the trend differs based on the analysis methods used in adjusting for factors such as orbital decay and inter-satellite differences. The 1979-2004 trend for December-February is 0.03°C/decade based on data from the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) and 0.13°C/decade on data provided by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS). The base period used in both data sets is 1979-1998. |
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