The average ocean surface temperature across the globe in June was the highest ever on record for that month, according to preliminary findings by the National Climatic Data Center, an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Combining the global land and sea temperatures, June 2009 recorded the second-highest temperature for the month going back to about 1880. The highest combined temperature on record for June came in 2005.
Terrestrial warmth was most notable in Africa, the agency reports. Considerable warmth also occurred in Siberia and in the lands around the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Cooler-than-average land locations included the U.S. Northern Plains, the Canadian Prairie Provinces, and central Asia.
For the U.S. as a whole, June temperatures and precipitation were near their normal average. Regionally, the South, Southeast and parts of the Northwest recorded above-average temperatures, while the Northeast and areas in the Southwest and North Central regions were below average.
Review the climate data for June, including regional information provided by NOAA’s regional climate centers.
If you have time, check out the many pages of The Climate of 2009. I have spent hours reviewing the data, trying to find patterns to help me understand how climate is changing by the numbers. I’ve not discovered anything new on my own, but it is interesting to see the data laid out in many different ways.
