Global Highlights:
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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. |
IntroductionTemperature anomalies for December 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 an experimental blended product of a merged land air and sea surface temperature anomaly analysis which is based on data from the GHCN of land temperatures and the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) of Sea-Surface Temperature (SST) data. Temperature anomalies with respect to 1961-1990 for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.During December 2005, temperatures were more than 3°C above average across large parts of Canada, Alaska, and the Middle East, parts of Siberia and the southwestern U.S. Cooler than average temperatures were observed in France, Japan, central Asia, the eastern U.S., and along the western coast of South America. Warmer than average SSTs occurred over the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Cooler than average conditions were observed off the coasts of Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and in the Niño 3 region. |
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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 December 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. |
Temperature Rankings and Graphics |
Current Month / Year-to-date |
December | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record |
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GlobalLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.33°C (+0.59°F) +0.41°C (+0.74°F) +0.39°C (+0.70°F) |
33rd warmest 8th warmest 9th warmest |
1939 (+1.09°C/1.96°F) 1997 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) 1997 (+0.62°C/1.12°F) |
Northern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.30°C (+0.54°F) +0.42°C (+0.76°F) +0.37°C (+0.67°F) |
35th warmest 6th warmest 13th warmest |
1939 (+1.61°C/2.90°F) 2004 (+0.57°C/1.03°F) 2003 (+0.65°C/1.17°F) |
Southern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.06°C (+0.11°F) +0.38°C (+0.68°F) +0.32°C (+0.58°F) |
55th warmest 9th warmest 13th warmest |
1972 (+0.78°C/1.40°F) 1997 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) 1997 (+0.64°C/1.15°F) |
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January-December | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record |
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GlobalLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.91°C (+1.64°F) +0.44°C (+0.79°F) +0.58°C (+1.04°F) |
2nd warmest 2nd warmest 2nd warmest |
1998 (+0.97°C/1.75°F) 1998 (+0.47°C/0.85°F) 1998 (+0.62°C/1.12°F) |
Northern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.96°C (+1.73°F) +0.51°C (+0.92°F) +0.69°C (+1.24°F) |
2nd warmest warmest 2nd warmest |
1998 (+1.02°C/1.84°F) 2nd - 2004 (+0.50°C/0.90°F) 1998 (+0.70°C/1.26°F) |
Southern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.67°C (+1.21°F) +0.40°C (+0.72°F) +0.45°C (+0.81°F) |
2nd warmest 6th warmest 4th warmest |
1998 (+0.77°C/1.39°F) 1998 (+0.47°C/0.85°F) 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F) |
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The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.
PrecipitationThe maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN data set of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. During December 2005, above average precipitation fell over areas that include the Amazon Basin, the Philippines, India, the western and northeastern U.S., and central Europe. Below average precipitation was observed in the Iberian Peninsula, South Africa, eastern Australia, Hawaii and from the U.S. southern Plains northward to the Great Lakes region. |
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ENSO SST AnalysisClick here for animated loop |
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ReferencesPeterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849. Quayle, R. G., T. C. Peterson, A. N. Basist, and C. S. Godfrey, 1999: An operational near-real-time global temperature index. Geophys. Res. Lett., 26, 333-335. Smith, T. M., and R. W. Reynolds (2005), A global merged land air and sea surface temperature reconstruction based on historical observations (1880-1997), J. Clim., 18, 2021-2036. |