Ag Weather Forum

The almost 35-year string of world temperatures hitting new records for warmth continued in June. Here are some edited summary details from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

The month of June was characterized by higher-than-average temperatures across much of the world. The most notable June 2019 temperature departures from average were observed across central and eastern Europe, northern Russia, northeastern Canada, and southern parts of South America, where temperatures were 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1981--2010 average or higher. Record warm temperature departures from average during June 2019 were present across parts of central and eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the north Indian Ocean, and across parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Meanwhile, the most notable cooler-than-average temperature departures from average were limited to parts of western Asia and Antarctica, where temperatures were at least 1.0 degree C (1.8 degree F) below the 1981--2010 average or cooler. According to the June 2019 percentiles map, cooler-than-average conditions were limited to parts of western Asia, Indonesia, across small areas in the Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, as well as the south-central contiguous United States. No land or ocean areas had record cold June temperatures.

Averaged as a whole, the June 2019 global land and ocean temperature departure from average was the highest for June since global records began in 1880 at plus 0.95 degree C (plus 1.71 degrees F). This value bested the previous record set in 2016 by 0.02 degree C (0.04 degree F). Nine of the 10 warmest Junes have occurred since 2010. June 1998 is the only value from the previous century among the 10 warmest Junes on record, and it is currently ranked as the eighth warmest June on record. Junes 2015, 2016, and 2019 are the only Junes that have a global land and ocean temperature departure from average above plus 0.90 degree C (plus 1.62 degree F). June 2019 also marks the 43rd consecutive June and the 414th consecutive month with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th century average.

The global land-only surface temperature for June 2019 was 1.34 degrees C (2.41 degrees F) above the 20th century average. This was also the highest June temperature in the 140-year record, exceeding the previous record of plus 1.30 degrees C (plus 2.34 degrees F) set in 2015. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, South America, Europe, Africa, the Hawaiian Region, and the Gulf of Mexico had their warmest June since regional records began in 1910. Asia and the Caribbean region had their eighth and ninth highest June temperature in the 110-year regional record, respectively. Meanwhile, North America and Oceania had their coolest (or least warm) June since 2009 and 2012, respectively.

The global ocean-only temperature for June 2019 tied with 2016 as the highest June temperature on record at 0.81 degree C (1.46 degrees F) above average. Junes 2016 and 2019 are the only June global ocean-only temperature departures from average that have surpassed plus 0.80 degree C (plus 1.44 degrees F). June 2019 tied with August 2015, April 2016, and June 2016 as the 10th highest monthly global ocean temperature departure from average among all months (1,674 months) on record. The 10 highest global ocean monthly temperature departures from average have all occurred since September 2015.

Europe had its warmest June on record at 2.93 degrees C (5.27 degrees F) above the 1910--2000 average, surpassing the previous record of 1.95 degrees C (3.51 degrees F) set in 2003 by plus 0.98 degrees C (plus 1.76 degrees F). June 2019 also marked the first time since continental records began in 1910 that Europe's June temperature departure from average surpassed the plus 2.0 degrees C (plus 3.6 degrees F) mark and nearly reaching plus 3.0 degrees C (plus 5.4 degrees F). Compared to all months, the June 2019 temperature departure from average tied with March 2017 as the 12th highest in the 1,314 monthly record. During the last week of June, an intense heat wave affected much of Europe, bringing temperatures that were 6.0 degrees to 10.0 degrees C (10.8 degrees to 18.0 degrees F) above average and resulting in numerous new records set.

The average global land and ocean surface temperature during the first half of the year tied with 2017 as the second highest January-June period in the 140-year record ... January-June 2016 was warmer. According to NCEI's global annual temperature ranking outlook, it is virtually certain that 2019 will end among the top five warm years.

The full article, with more details and many graphic highlights, is at this link: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/…

Bryce Anderson can be reached at bryce.anderson@dtn.com

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