Global Highlights:
- Global average combined land and sea surface temperature was
the second warmest for July 2003
- Temperatures were much above average across Europe and
Southeast Asia with below average temperatures across the Korean
peninsula, Japan and New Zealand
- Precipitation during July 2003 was above average in the
southeastern U.S. and most of India, with drier than average
conditions over most of Australia and Brazil
- Sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial
Pacific were near-normal in July 2003, indicative of near-neutral
ENSO conditions
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Contents of this Section:
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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 July 2003 mean
temperature was above the 1988-2002 average across the western half
of the U.S., Europe, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean region as
shown in the adjacent map of blended satellite and
in situ data. Cooler than average temperatures occurred over
parts of the Sahel, much of northern Alaska and the eastern U.S.
The mean position of upper level ridges of high pressure 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. |
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July temperature
anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network
data set of land surface stations (using a 1961-1990 base period)
also show above average temperatures throughout Europe, southern
Argentina and Algeria. Monthly temperatures were 3-5°C
(5.4-9°F) above the mean. Cooler than average temperatures were
present throughout east Asia, Mali, Paraguay and Uruguay where
monthly temperatures were as much as 3-5°C (5.4-9°F) below
average. |
Temperature
July
- For July 2003, the global average land and ocean
surface temperature was 0.53°C (0.95°F) above the 1880-2002
average, ranking as the second warmest July in the period of
record
- The warmest July occurred in 1998, when the
global anomaly was +0.66°C (+1.19°F)
- Globally averaged land
temperatures were third warmest on record, 0.74°C (1.33°F)
above the long-term mean
- Globally averaged ocean surface
temperatures were 0.43°C (0.77°F) above the 1880-2002 mean,
second warmest for July 2003.
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- July 2003 temperatures averaged across the
Northern Hemisphere were second warmest on record, 0.59°C
(1.10°F) above the long term mean
- Temperatures averaged throughout the Southern
Hemisphere were second warmest, 0.46°C (0.83°F) above
average
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January-July
- For January-July 2003, the global average
land
and ocean surface temperature was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above
the long term mean, third warmest
- Globally averaged land
temperatures were third warmest on record, 0.87°C (1.57°F)
above the long-term mean
- Globally averaged ocean
surface temperatures were 0.40°C (0.72°F) above the
1880-2002 mean, third warmest for January-July 2003.
- January-July 2003 temperatures averaged across
the Northern Hemisphere were third warmest on record, 0.58°C
(1.04°F) above the long term mean
- Temperatures averaged throughout the Southern
Hemisphere were third warmest, 0.48°C (0.86°F) above
average
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- Serial monthly global surface temperature
departures with respect to a 1971-2000 mean are shown in the figure
to the left
- Globally averaged surface temperatures (land and
ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for the last 87
consecutive months
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Precipitation
- During July 2003, much above average
precipitation fell across the southeastern U.S., Venezuela, India
and Mozambique
- Below average precipitation was observed in
Taiwan, southeastern China, Bolivia and Nepal
- Additional regional analysis can be found on the
Global Hazards page
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ENSO SST Analysis
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.