The 15th consecutive month of record-setting global temperatures and the second-lowest Antarctic sea ice extent again
August Highlights:
- Temperatures were above average over much of the globe, with Europe having its warmest August on record.
- The year-to-date global temperature was the warmest such period on record, with South America, Europe and Africa each ranking first.
- Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was near average in August whereas global sea ice extent ranked second lowest on record.
- Global tropical cyclone activity was near average with 15 named storms, including two in the Atlantic Basin.
Temperature
The August global surface temperature was 2.29°F (1.27°C) above the 20th-century average of 60.1°F (15.6°C), making it the warmest August on record. This marks the 15th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures, which is itself a record. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a 97% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record.
August temperatures were above average across much of the global land surface except for Alaska, eastern Russia, southern South America, central Africa and west-central Asia. Europe and Oceania had their warmest August on record, Asia was second warmest, while Africa and North America each had their third warmest. Approximately 10% of the world’s surface had a record-high August temperature. Sea surface temperatures were above average over most areas, while parts of the tropical eastern Pacific, southeastern Pacific and north Atlantic were below average. The global ocean was second warmest on record for August.
Temperatures in the mid-troposphere (approximately 2–6 miles above the Earth’s surface) were record warm in August, according to satellite data from NESDIS. Each of the past 14 months set global records for the mid-troposphere.
The year-to-date (January–August) global surface temperature was 2.30°F (1.28°C) above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest such period on record. South America, Europe and Africa each had their warmest year-to-date period.
Snow Cover
The Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in August was near average. Snow cover over North America was slightly above average (by 30,000 square miles); Eurasia was slightly below average (by 50,000 square miles). The most northern areas of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and areas of coastal Greenland had above-average snow cover.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the second smallest in the 46-year record at 8.32 million square miles, which was 1.05 million square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Arctic sea ice extent was below average (by 470,000 square miles), ranking fourth lowest on record, and Antarctic extent was also below average (by 580,000 square miles), ranking second lowest on record.
Tropical Cyclones
Fifteen named storms occurred across the globe in August, which was near the 1991–2020 average. The Atlantic basin saw two tropical cyclones during August: Debby, a Category 1 hurricane that made landfall in Florida, and Ernesto, a Category 2 hurricane that made landfall in Bermuda. The East Pacific saw significantly increased activity in August with seven tropical cyclones, while the West Pacific saw five cyclones and the North Indian Ocean saw one.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our August 2024 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
