Use the form below to access monthly reports.
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.
Please Note: Effective with the July 2009 State of the Climate Report, NCDC transitioned to the new version (version 3b) of the extended reconstructed sea surface temperature (ERSST) dataset. ERSST.v3b is an improved extended SST reconstruction over version 2. Most of the improvements are justified by testing with simulated data. The primary difference in version 3b, compared to version 2, is improved low-frequency tuning that increases the sensitivity to data prior to 1930. In ERSST v3b, satellite data was removed from the ERSST product. The addition of satellite data from 1985 to present caused problems for many users. Although the satellite data were corrected with respect to the in situ data, a small residual cold bias remained at high southern latitudes where in situ data were sparse. For more information about the differences between ERSST.v3b and ERSST.v2 please read Summary of Recent Changes in the Land-Ocean Temperature Analyses and Improvements to NOAA's Historical Merged Land-Ocean Surface Temperature Analysis (1880-2006) paper.
Temperature anomalies for July 2009 are shown on the dot maps below. The dot map on the left provides a spatial representation of anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) dataset of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period. The dot map on the right is a product of a merged land surface and sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly analysis developed by Smith et al. (2008). Temperature anomalies with respect to the 1961-1990 average for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis.
The combined global land and ocean surface temperatures for July 2009 ranked as the fifth warmest on record in July since records began in 1880. However, the global land surface temperatures for July 2009 tied with 2003 as the ninth warmest July on record. Warmer-than-average temperatures were present across all land areas with the exception of cooler-than-average conditions across parts of eastern and western Asia, most of southern South America, central Canada, and the eastern half of the contiguous United States. The most notable cooler-than-average temperatures were recorded across the contiguous U.S. and central Canada. For the contiguous U.S., the average July temperature of 23.1°C (73.5°F) was the coolest since 1994. Please see the United States July 2009 National Overview for additional information.
According to Environment Canada, temperatures across Ontario were well below average, with an overall anomaly of 2.2°C (4.0°F) below average. Several locations experienced their lowest temperatures since 1992, and three locations set new low mean temperatures. Pickle Lake set a new monthly low mean temperature for the month of July as temperatures dropped to 14.4°C (57.9°F), surpassing the previous record of 14.5°C (58.1°F) set in 1965. Ridgetown and Elliot Lake also broke their monthly low mean temperatures which were first set in 1891 and 1996, respectively.
The global ocean SST for July 2009 was the warmest on record for the second consecutive month, 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20th century average of 16.4°C (61.5°F). This broke the previous July record set in 1998. Sea surface temperatures during July 2009 were warmer than average across much of the world's oceans, with the exception of cooler-than-average conditions across parts of the North Atlantic Ocean and the southern oceans. Sea surface temperature anomalies in all Niño regions continued to warm during July 2009, where the monthly temperatures were more than 0.5°C (0.9°F) above average. If El Niño conditions continue to mature as projected by NOAA, global temperatures are likely to continue to threaten previous record highs. Please see the July 2009 ENSO discussion for additional information.
The January-July 2009 map of temperature anomalies shows the presence of warmer-than-average conditions across much of the world's land areas, with the exception of cooler-than-average temperatures across Canada and parts of the northern contiguous United States. Sea surface temperatures were warmer than average across all oceans, with cooler-than-average SSTs present across the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, along the western coast of North America, and the southern oceans.
The average position of the upper-level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500-millibar height anomalies on the July 2009 map, respectively) are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. For other Global products, please see the Climate Monitoring Global Products page.
Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2009 from the weekly SST page.
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record in July and tied with 2004 as the sixth warmest on record for the year-to-date (January-July) period. The global land surface tied with 2003 as the ninth warmest July on record, while the global ocean surface had the warmest July on record. The ranks found in the tables below are based on records that began in 1880.
| July | Anomaly | Rank (out of 130 years) |
Warmest/Next Warmest Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | |||
| Land | +0.51°C (+0.92°F) | 9th warmest | 1998 (+1.02°C/1.84°F) |
| Ocean | +0.59°C (+1.06°F) | 1st warmest | 1998 (+0.58°C/1.04°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.57°C (+1.03°F) | 5th warmest | 1998 (+0.70°C/1.26°F) |
| Northern Hemisphere | |||
| Land | +0.51°C (+0.92°F) | 10th warmest | 1998 (+1.04°C/1.87°F) |
| Ocean | +0.63°C (+1.13°F) | 2nd warmest | 2005 (+0.64°C/1.15°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.59°C (+1.06°F) | 5th warmest | 2005 (+0.74°C/1.33°F) |
| Southern Hemisphere | |||
| Land | +0.51°C (+0.92°F) | 11st warmest | 1998 (+0.96°C/1.73°F) |
| Ocean | +0.57°C (+1.03°F) | 2nd warmest | 1998 (+0.60°C/1.08°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.56°C (+1.01°F) | 2nd warmest | 1998 (+0.66°C/1.19°F) |
| January - July | Anomaly | Rank (out of 130 years) |
Warmest Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | |||
| Land | +0.78°C (+1.40°F) | 5th warmest | 2007 (+1.05°C/1.89°F) |
| Ocean | +0.45°C (+0.81°F) | 6th warmest | 1998 (+0.56°C/1.01°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.54°C (+0.97°F) | 6th warmest | 1998 (+0.67°C/1.21°F) |
| Northern Hemisphere | |||
| Land | +0.84°C (+1.51°F) | 8th warmest | 2007 (+1.26°C/2.27°F) |
| Ocean | +0.43°C (+0.77°F) | 5th warmest | 1998 (+0.53°C/0.95°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.58°C (+1.04°F) | 6th warmest | 2007 (+0.75°C/1.35°F) |
| Southern Hemisphere | |||
| Land | +0.62°C (+1.12°F) | 4th warmest | 2005 (+0.88°C/1.58°F) |
| Ocean | +0.48°C (+0.86°F) | 4th warmest | 1998 (+0.60°C/1.08°F) |
| Land and Ocean | +0.50°C (+0.90°F) | 5th warmest | 1998 (+0.64°C/1.15°F) |
The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.
The maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN dataset of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. During July 2009, above-average precipitation fell over areas that included the British Isles, parts of Europe, western India, eastern Asia, southern Brazil, and the central and northeastern contiguous United States. The driest anomalies occurred across northern India, west central Africa, and southern Chile.
According to Environment Canada, Ottawa's International Airport set an all-time monthly record when 243.4 mm (9.6 in) of rain fell in July 2009, surpassing the previous all-time record of 224.8 mm (8.8 in) in June 2002. This value also shattered the previous July rainfall record of 186.4 mm (7.3 in) set on 1972. Earlton, Ontario, Canada experienced its wettest July since 1969 (Source: Environment Canada).
Australia—as a whole—experienced 37 percent below-average rainfall during July. The state of Queensland had its fifth lowest precipitation on record for July, with some locations in eastern Queensland recording their driest July on record. While much of the country had below-average rainfall during July 2009, southern parts of the country had wetter-than-average conditions. Tasmania had its highest July precipitation since 2002 and South Australia's agricultural area experienced its highest July precipitation since 1996. (Source: Australia's Bureau of Meteorology).
Other notable precipitation extremes during July 2009 include copious monsoon rainfall in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which received 290 mm (11.4 in) of rain on July 29th, its largest daily rainfall in July since 1949. In southern China, heavy rain fell during July, prompting rivers to overflow their banks and triggering landslides and floods. The excessive rains were responsible for 66 fatalities and affected tens of thousands of people.
Additional details on flooding and drought can also be found on the July 2009 Global Hazards page.
Sea surface temperatures continued to warm across the equatorial Pacific during July 2009, resulting in anomalies greater than 0.5°C (0.9°F) above average in all Niño regions. The Oceanic Niño Index (three-month [May-June-July] running average) was +0.6°C (1.1°F), which is above the threshold of +0.5°C (+0.9°F). These conditions are indicative of a developing El Niño. A comprehensive summary of July 2009 ENSO conditions can be found on the ENSO monitoring page. For the latest advisory on ENSO conditions, please visit NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and the CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion.
Images of weekly sea surface temperature conditions are available at the weekly SST page.
According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC), the July 2009 Northern Hemisphere sea ice extent—which is measured from passive microwave instruments onboard NOAA satellites—was 8.8 million square kilometers (12.7 percent below the 1979–2000 average), resulting in the third lowest July sea ice extent on record, behind 2007 and 2006. This was the 13th consecutive July with sea ice extent below average. July 1996 was the last year that had above-average sea extent. NSIDC reported unusually low sea ice extent in the Kara Sea, Baffin Bay, and along the Russian coast. Meanwhile, the southern Hudson Bay had significant above-average ice extent during July. July Arctic sea ice extent has decreased at an average rate of 6.1 percent per decade since 1979.
Meanwhile, the July 2009 Southern Hemisphere sea ice extent was 1.5 percent above the 1979–2000 average. This was the tenth largest sea ice extent in July. Southern Hemisphere sea ice extent for July has increased at an average rate of 0.8 percent per decade.
For further information on the Northern and Southern Hemisphere snow and ice conditions, please visit the NSIDC News page, provided by NOAA's National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC).
Temperatures above the Earth's surface are measured within the lower troposphere, middle troposphere, and stratosphere using in-situ balloon-borne instruments (radiosondes) and polar-orbiting satellites (NOAA's TIROS-N). The radiosonde and satellite records have been adjusted to remove time-dependent biases (artificialities caused by changes in radiosonde instruments and measurement practices as well as changes in satellite instruments and orbital features through time). Global averages from radiosonde data are available from 1958 to present, while satellite measurements date back to 1979.
These temperatures are for the lowest 8 km (5 miles) of the atmosphere. Information on the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) sources of troposphere data is available.
| July | Anomaly | Rank (out of 31 years) |
Warmest Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH low-trop | +0.42°C/+0.76°F | 2nd warmest | 1998 (+0.52°C/+0.94°F) | +0.12°C/decade |
| *RSS low-trop | +0.39°C/+0.71°F | 3rd warmest | 1998 (+0.61°C/+1.09°F) | +0.17°C/decade |
*Version 03_0
| January- July |
Anomaly | Rank (out of 31 years) |
Warmest Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH low-trop | +0.20°C/+0.36°F | 8th warmest | 1998 (+0.62°C/+1.12°F) | +0.12°C/decade |
| *RSS low-trop | +0.22°C/+0.40°F | 8th warmest | 1998 (+0.65°C/+1.17°F) | +0.15°C/decade |
*Version 03_2
These temperatures are for the atmospheric layer centered in the mid-troposphere (approximately 3–10 km [2–6 miles] above the Earth's surface), which also includes a portion of the lower stratosphere. (The Microwave Sounding Unit [MSU] channel used to measure mid-tropospheric temperatures receives about 25 percent of its signal above 10 km [6 miles].) Because the stratosphere has cooled due to increasing greenhouse gases in the troposphere and losses of ozone in the stratosphere, the stratospheric contribution to the tropospheric average, as measured from satellites, may create an artificial component of cooling to the mid-troposphere temperatures. The University of Washington (UW) versions of the UAH and RSS analyses attempt to remove the stratospheric influence from the mid-troposphere measurements, and as a result the UW versions tend to have a larger warming trend than either the UAH or RSS versions. For additional information, please see NCDC's Microwave Sounding Unit page.
The radiosonde data used in this global analysis were developed using the Lanzante, Klein, Seidel (2003) ("LKS") bias-adjusted dataset and the First Difference Method (Free et al. 2004) (RATPAC). Additional details are available. Satellite data have been adjusted by the Global Hydrology and Climate Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). An independent analysis is also performed by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) and a third analysis has been performed by Dr. Qiang Fu of the University of Washington (UW) (Fu et al. 2004)** to remove the influence of the stratosphere on the mid-troposphere value. Global averages from radiosonde data are available from 1958 to present, while satellite measurements began in 1979.
Radiosonde measurements indicate that, for the January-July year-to-date period, temperatures in the mid-troposphere were 0.41°C (0.73°F) above average, resulting in the seventh warmest January-July (out of 52 years) since global radiosonde measurements began in 1958. This was the 24th consecutive January-July period with temperature anomalies warmer than average. Meanwhile, satellite analyses of the January-July year-to-date period for the middle troposphere varied from 10th to 15th warmest in the 31-year satellite record.
The global mid-troposphere temperatures were above average during July 2009. As shown in the table below, satellite measurements for July 2009 ranked from second warmest to fourth warmest on record.
| July | Anomaly | Rank (out of 31 years) |
Warmest Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH mid-trop | +0.24°C/+0.43°F | 3rd warmest | 1998 (+0.47°C/+0.85°F) | +0.06°C/decade |
| *RSS mid-trop | +0.30°C/+0.54°F | 4th warmest | 1998 (+0.51°C/+0.93°F) | +0.12°C/decade |
| **UW-UAH mid-trop | +0.36°C/+0.65°F | 2nd warmest | 1998 (+0.58°C/+1.05°F) | +0.12°C/decade |
| **UW-*RSS mid-trop | +0.41°C/+0.73°F | 2nd warmest | 1998 (+0.62°C/+1.11°F) | +0.17°C/decade |
*Version 03_2
| January- July |
Anomaly | Rank (out of 31 years) |
Warmest Year on Record | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAH mid-trop | +0.03°C/+0.05°F | 15th warmest | 1998 (+0.57°C/+1.03°F) | +0.04°C/decade |
| *RSS mid-trop | +0.07°C/+0.13°F | 14th warmest | 1998 (+0.60°C/+1.08°F) | +0.08°C/decade |
| **UW-UAH mid-trop | +0.13°C/+0.23°F | 11th warmest | 1998 (+0.70°C/+1.26°F) | +0.10°C/decade |
| **UW-*RSS mid-trop | +0.16°C/+0.29°F | 10th warmest | 1998 (+0.72°C/+1.30°F) | +0.14°C/decade |
| RATPAC | +0.41°C/+0.73°F | 7th warmest | 1998 (+0.81°C/+1.46°F) | +0.14°C/decade |
*Version 03_2
Note: RATPAC's rank is based on records that began in 1958 (52 years).
The table below summarizes stratospheric conditions for July 2009. On average, the stratosphere is located approximately 16–23 km (10–14 miles) above the Earth's surface. Over the last decade, stratospheric temperatures have been below average in part due to the depletion of ozone. The large positive anomaly in 1982 was caused by the volcanic eruption of El Chichon in Mexico, and the sharp jump in temperature in 1991 was a result of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. In both cases the temperatures returned to pre-eruption levels within two years.
| July | Anomaly | Rank (out of 31 years) |
Coolest Year on Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAH stratosphere | -0.54°C (-0.97°F) | 7th coolest | 1996 (-0.73°C/-1.31°F) |
| *RSS stratosphere | -0.45°C (-0.81°F) | 7th coolest | 1996 (-0.65°C/-1.18°F) |
*Version 03_2
For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in July, see the Global Hazards page.
Christy, John R., R.W. Spencer, and W.D. Braswell, 2000: MSU tropospheric Temperatures: Dataset Construction and Radiosonde Comparisons. J. of Atmos. and Oceanic Technology, 17, 1153-1170.
Free, M., D.J. Seidel, J.K. Angell, J. Lanzante, I. Durre and T.C. Peterson (2005) Radiosonde Atmospheric Temperature Products for Assessing Climate (RATPAC): A new dataset of large-area anomaly time series, J. Geophys. Res., 10.1029/2005JD006169.
Free, M., J.K. Angell, I. Durre, J. Lanzante, T.C. Peterson and D.J. Seidel(2004), Using first differences to reduce inhomogeneity in radiosonde temperature datasets, J. Climate, 21, 4171-4179.
Fu, Q., C.M. Johanson, S.G. Warren, and D.J. Seidel, 2004: Contribution of stratospheric cooling to satellite-inferred tropospheric temperature trends. Nature, 429, 55-58.
Lanzante, J.R., S.A. Klein, and D.J. Seidel (2003a), Temporal homogenization of monthly radiosonde temperature data. Part I: Methodology, J. Climate, 16, 224-240.
Lanzante, J.R., S.A. Klein, and D.J. Seidel (2003b), Temporal homogenization of monthly radiosonde temperature data. Part II: trends, sensitivities, and MSU comparison, J. Climate, 16, 241 262.
Mears, Carl A., M.C. Schabel, F.J. Wentz, 2003: A Reanalysis of the MSU Channel 2 tropospheric Temperature Record. J. Clim, 16, 3650-3664.
Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.
Quayle, R.G., T.C. Peterson, A.N. Basist, and C. S. Godfrey, 1999: An operational near-real-time global temperature index. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 333-335.
Smith, T.M., and R.W. Reynolds (2005), A global merged land air and sea surface temperature reconstruction based on historical observations (1880-1997), J. Clim., 18, 2021-2036.
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