Global Highlights:

  • Based on preliminary data, global averaged combined land and sea surface temperature for September 2005 was warmest on record.
  • September temperatures were above average over Alaska, Asia, eastern Europe and the majority of the U.S. Colder-than-average conditions occurred in France, western Australia and the U.S. Pacific Northwest.
  • Precipitation during September was above average over India, Taiwan, Alaska and parts of Canada, with drier than average conditions over eastern Europe, Mexico and the U.S. East Coast.
  • Neutral ENSO conditions continued during September.

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.

Top of PageIntroduction

Temperature anomalies for September 2005 are shown on the two maps below. The dot map on the left provides 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 map on the right is 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 respect to 1961-1990 are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.

During September 2005, there were above average temperatures over eastern Europe, Asia, Japan, the majority of North America and parts of Brazil. Cooler than average temperatures were observed over France, Spain, western Australia, central South America and along the U.S. West Coast.

Much warmer than average SSTs occurred over the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. Cooler than average conditions were observed off the U.S. Californian coast and the South 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 September 2005 map) 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


Top of Page Temperature Rankings and Graphics

Current Month / Year-to-date
September Anomaly Rank Warmest Year on Record

Global

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+0.98°C (+1.76°F)
+0.48°C (+0.86°F)
+0.63°C (+1.13°F)

warmest
3rd warmest
warmest

2nd - 1998 (+0.74°C/1.33°F)
2003 (+0.52°C/0.94°F)
2nd - 2003 (+0.57°C/1.03°F)

Northern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean


+1.08°C (+1.94°F)
+0.60°C (+1.08°F)
+0.79°C (+1.42°F)


warmest
2nd warmest
warmest


1998 (+0.80°C/1.44°F)
2003 (+0.65°C/1.17°F)
2nd - 2003 (+0.65°C/1.17°F)

Southern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean


+0.66°C (+1.19°F)
+0.43°C (+0.77°F)
+0.47°C (+0.85°F)


5th warmest
7th warmest
5th warmest


2003 (+0.77°C/1.39°F)
1997 (+0.55°C/1.00°F)
1997 (+0.58°C/1.04°F)

Global Land and Ocean Triad plot
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Global Hemisphere Triad plot
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January-September Anomaly Rank Warmest Year on Record

Global

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+0.94°C (+1.70°F)
+0.44°C (+0.79°F)
+0.59°C (+1.06°F)

3rd warmest
2nd warmest
2nd warmest

1998 (+1.04°C/1.87°F)
1998 (+0.50°C/0.90°F)
1998 (+0.66°C/1.19°F)

Northern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean


+0.95°C (+1.71°F)
+0.52°C (+0.94°F)
+0.70°C (+1.26°F)


3rd warmest
warmest
2nd warmest


2002 (+1.14°C/2.05°F)
Tie - 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F)
1998 (+0.75°C/1.35°F)

Southern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean


+0.77°C (+1.39°F)
+0.40°C (+0.72°F)
+0.47°C (+0.85°F)


2nd warmest
4th warmest
3rd warmest


1998 (+0.82°C/1.48°F)
1998 (+0.50°C/0.90°F)
1998 (+0.56°C/1.01°F)

Global Land and Ocean Triad plot
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Global Hemisphere Triad plot
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The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.


Top of Page 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 September 2005, above average precipitation fell over Alaska, India, Burma, Thailand, Taiwan, the U.S. northeast and lower Mississippi Valley, and southern Brazil. Below average precipitation was observed in Mexico, the Caribbean, Nepal, eastern Europe, parts of southeast Asia, Bolivia and other areas of South America, and the U.S. East Coast and Great Plains.


Precipitation Dot map in Millimeters for September
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Percent Precipitation for September
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Top of Page ENSO SST Analysis




Last week of the month's ENSO condtions Map
Click here for animated loop



  • SSTs remained near average to slightly below average in the equatorial tropical Pacific during September, indicative of ENSO neutral conditions (shown in the adjacent animation of weekly sea surface temperature anomalies). A comprehensive summary of September 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


Top of 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 Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly Global Climate Report for September 2005, published online October 2005, retrieved on April 19, 2024 from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/200509.