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Global Analysis - August 2005

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Global Analysis

Note: The data presented in this report are preliminary. Ranks and anomalies may change as more complete data are received and processed. Effective September 2012, the GHCN-M version 3.2.0 dataset of monthly mean temperature replaced the GHCN-M version 3.1.0 monthly mean temperature dataset. Beginning with the August 2012 Global monthly State of the Climate Report, released on September 17, 2012, GHCN-M version 3.2.0 is used for NCDC climate monitoring activities, including calculation of global land surface temperature anomalies and trends. For more information about this newest version, please see the GHCN-M version 3.2.0 Technical Report.

*The GHCN-M version 3.1.0 Technical Report was revised on September 5, 2012 to accurately reflect the changes incorporated in that version. Previously that report incorrectly included discussion of changes to the Pairwise Homogeneity Algorithm (PHA). Changes to the PHA are included in version 3.2.0 and described in the version 3.2.0 Technical Report. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about this update.

Global Highlights:

Based on preliminary data, global averaged combined land and sea surface temperature for June-August 2005 was 2nd warmest on record, 3rd warmest on record for August 2005.
June-August temperatures were above average over Europe, Scandinavia, South Africa and the majority of North America. There were no notable colder-than-average conditions during boreal summer.
Precipitation during June-August was above average over Scandinavia, the southeastern U.S., and much of Australia, with drier than average conditions over the U.S. Great Lakes region, along the Gulf of Guinea coastline and most of India.
Neutral ENSO conditions continued during August.

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

Temperature anomalies for June-August and August 2005 are shown on the four maps below. The dot maps on the left provide a spatial representation of anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) data set of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period. The maps on the right are a blended product of a merged land air and sea surface temperature anomaly analysis which is based on data from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) of land temperatures and the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) of SST data. Temperature anomalies with repsect to 1961-1990 are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.

During the boreal summer, above average temperatures occurred over Alaska, Canada, India, China, the majority of the U.S., the western South American coastline and Australia. There were no notable cool anomalies during June-August 2005.

Much warmer than average SSTs occurred over the Northern Pacific and the Tropical Atlantic. Cooler than average conditions were observed off the coasts of Ecuador, Peru and the Gulf of Guinea.

Current season's Land Surface Temperature Dot map

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Current season's blended Land and sea surface Temperature Dot map

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During August, there were above average temperatures over Alaska, Scandinavia, the Middle East, Mongolia, the eastern half of North America and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Cooler than average temperatures were observed over parts of Mexico, east-central Siberia and the U.S. Great Plains.

Much warmer than average SSTs occurred over the Northern Pacific and the Northern Atlantic. Cooler than average conditions were observed in the Southern Pacific and Southern Atlantic.

Current months Land SurfaceTemperature Dot map

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Current month's blended Land and sea surface Temperature Dot map

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The mean position of upper level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies on the August 2005 map and the June-August 2005 maps) are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. For other Global products see the Climate Monitoring Global Products page.

Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2005 at the weekly SST page

Temperature Rankings and Graphics

Current Month / Seasonal / Year-to-date

August	Anomaly	Rank	Warmest Year on Record
Global Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.77°C (+1.39°F) +0.49°C (+0.88°F) +0.57°C (+1.03°F)	4th warmest 2nd warmest 3rd warmest	1998 (+0.96°C/1.73°F) 1998 (+0.50°C/0.90°F) 1998 (+0.64°C/1.15°F)
Northern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.86°C (+1.55°F) +0.64°C (+1.15°F) +0.73°C (+1.31°F)	4th warmest warmest 3rd warmest	2003 (+1.07°C/1.93°F) 2nd - 2003 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) 2003 (+0.79°C/1.42°F)
Southern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.51°C (+0.92°F) +0.37°C (+0.67°F) +0.40°C (+0.72°F)	11th warmest 6th warmest 4th warmest	1884 (+1.42°C/2.56°F) 1998 (+0.42°C/0.76°F) 1998 (+0.47°C/0.85°F)

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June-August	Anomaly	Rank	Warmest Year on Record
Global Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.95°C (+1.71°F) +0.45°C (+0.81°F) +0.60°C (+1.08°F)	2nd warmest 2nd warmest 2nd warmest	1998 (+0.96°C/1.73°F) 1998 (+0.49°C/0.88°F) 1998 (+0.64°C/1.15°F)
Northern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+1.00°C (+1.80°F) +0.58°C (+1.04°F) +0.75°C (+1.35°F)	warmest warmest warmest	2nd - 1998 (+0.99°C/1.78°F) 2nd - 1998 (+0.55°C/0.99°F) 2nd - 1998 (+0.73°C/1.31°F)
Southern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.73°C (+1.31°F) +0.35°C (+0.63°F) +0.42°C (+0.76°F)	2nd warmest 7th warmest 3rd warmest	1998 (+0.81°C/1.46°F) 1998 (+0.46°C/0.83°F) 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F)

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January-August	Anomaly	Rank	Warmest Year on Record
Global Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.94°C (+1.70°F) +0.44°C (+0.80°F) +0.59°C (+1.06°F)	3rd warmest 2nd warmest 3rd warmest	2002 (+1.08°C/1.94°F) 1998 (+0.51°C/0.92°F) 1998 (+0.68°C/1.22°F)
Northern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.94°C (+1.70°F) +0.51°C (+0.92°F) +0.68°C (+1.22°F)	3rd warmest 2nd warmest 3rd warmest	2002 (+1.20°C/2.16°F) 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F) 1998 (+0.77°C/1.39°F)
Southern Hemisphere Land Ocean Land and Ocean	+0.80°C (+1.44°F) +0.40°C (+0.72°F) +0.47°C (+0.85°F)	2nd warmest 4th warmest 3rd warmest	1998 (+0.86°C/1.55°F) 1998 (+0.51°C/0.92°F) 1998 (+0.58°C/1.04°F)

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The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.

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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. During the 2005 boreal summer, above average precipitation fell over the southeastern U.S., the U.S. northern Great Plains, the western coast of Canada, southeast Asia, eastern Europe, much of Russia and the majority of Australia. Below average precipitation was observed in France, Spain, South Africa, most of India, along the U.S. western Gulf Coast and Great Lakes.

During August 2005, above average precipitation fell over central America, eastern China, most of eastern Europe, the U.S. middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys and parts of the Carribean. While below average precipitation was observed in Venezuela, India, Thailand, South Africa, the southeastern coast of Australia, the northeastern U.S., southern portions of Brazil and western Europe.

Heavy rain led to flooding in several regions of the world, including Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Sudan and Ethiopia. Information on these events are available in the August Global Hazards report.

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Percent Precipitation in Millimeters for August

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ENSO SST Analysis

Last week of the month's ENSO condtions Map

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SSTs remained near average to slightly below average in the eastern equatorial tropical Pacific during August, indicative of ENSO neutral conditions (shown in the adjacent animation of weekly sea surface temperature anomalies). A comprehensive summary of August 2005 ENSO conditions can be found on the ENSO monitoring page. For the latest advisory on ENSO conditions go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and the CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion
Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2005 at the weekly SST page

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.

Citing This Report

NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for August 2005, published online September 2005, retrieved on May 23, 2013 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2005/8.