Global Temperature Trend Update: August 2011

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Every month University of Alabama in Huntsville climatologists John Christy and Roy Spencer report the latest global temperature trends from satellite data. Below are the newest data updated through August, 2011.

Global climate trend since Nov. 16, 1978: +0.14 C per decade

August temperatures (preliminary)

Global composite temp.: +0.33 C (about 0.59 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for August.

Northern Hemisphere: +0.32 C (about 0.58 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for August.

Southern Hemisphere: +0.33 C (about 0.59 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for August.

Tropics: +0.15 C (about 0.27 degrees Fahrenheit) above 30-year average for August.

July temperatures (revised):

Global Composite: +0.37 C above 30-year average

Northern Hemisphere: +0.34 C above 30-year average

Southern Hemisphere: +0.40 C above 30-year average

Tropics: +0.20 C above 30-year average

(All temperature anomalies are based on a 30-year average (1981-2010) for the month reported.)

Notes on data released Sept. 6, 2011:

Averaged globally, August 2011 was the third warmest August in the past 34 years, according to Dr. John Christy, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Earth System Science Center at The University of Alabama in Huntsville. The Southern Hemisphere saw its second warmest August in that time, while it was the fourth warmest August in the Northern Hemisphere.

August maps show a large area of warm over most of the contiguous 48 U.S. States, plus Mexico and the Caribbean. Slightly warmer than normal temperatures also covered most of Europe and large portions of North Asia in August. The high temperatures over Texas, surrounding states and Northern Mexico show up even stronger when looked at as a three-month seasonal anomaly. It was a warm season in both the Arctic and the Antarctic, with winter temperatures in the Antarctic averaging as much as 3.75 C (6.75 degrees F) warmer than seasonal norms.

Warmest Augusts, Global
 Temperature Anomalies
     (degrees Celsius)

1998   0.45  
2010   0.44  
2011  0.33  
2001   0.25  
1995   0.21  
2006   0.19  
2002   0.17  
2007   0.17  
2009   0.17  
1991   0.14  
2005   0.13  
2003   0.11  
1988   0.09  
1980   0.05  
1996   0.05  
1997   0.02  
1983  -0.01  
1981  -0.02  
1987  -0.04  
1990  -0.05

 Southern Hemisphere
August Temp Anomalies
 Warmer Than Norms

1998   0.44  
2011  0.33  
2010   0.29  
2002   0.29  
1996   0.28  
2006   0.23  
2009   0.20  
1995   0.18  
1980   0.18  
2007   0.17  
1991   0.17  
2001   0.14  
2005   0.09  
1987   0.03  
2003   0.01

The processed temperature data is available on-line here.