NOAA: Warmest April Global Temperature on Record
Also Warmest January-April
May 17, 2010
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the
warmest on record for both April and for the period from January-April,
according to NOAA. Additionally, last month’s average ocean surface
temperature was the warmest on record for any April, and the global land
surface temperature was the third warmest on record.
The monthly analysis from NOAA’s
National Climatic
Data Center, which is based on records going back to 1880, is part
of the suite of climate services that NOAA provides government, business
and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.
Global Temperature Highlights – April 2010
- The combined April global land and ocean average surface
temperature was the warmest on record at 58.1°F (14.5°C), which is
1.37°F (0.76°C) above the 20th century average of 56.7°F (13.7°C).
- The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature
was the warmest on record for January-April at 56.0°F (13.3°C),
which is 1.24°F (0.69°C) above the 20th century average.
- Separately, the global ocean surface temperature was 1.03°F
(0.57°C) above the 20th century average of 60.9°F (16.0°C) and the
warmest on record for April. The warmth was most pronounced in the
equatorial portions of the major oceans, especially the Atlantic.
- The global land surface temperature was 2.32°F (1.29°C) above
the 20th century average of 46.5 °F (8.1°C) — the third warmest on
record for April. Warmer-than-normal conditions dominated the globe,
with the most prominent warmth in Canada, Alaska, the eastern United
States, Australia, South Asia, northern Africa and northern Russia.
Cooler-than-normal places included Mongolia, Argentina, far eastern
Russia, the western contiguous United States and most of China.
- El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) weakened in April, as
sea-surface temperature anomalies decreased across the equatorial
Pacific Ocean. The weakening contributed significantly to the warmth
observed in the tropical belt and the warmth of the overall ocean
temperature for April. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction
Center, El Niño is expected to continue through June.
Other Highlights
- Arctic sea ice was below normal for the 11th consecutive April,
covering an average of 5.7 million square miles (14.7 million square
kilometers). This is 2.1 percent below the 1979-2000 average extent
and the 15th smallest April extent since records began in 1979. It
was, however, the largest April Arctic sea ice extent since 2001.
- Antarctic sea ice extent in April was near average, just 0.3
percent below the 1979-2000 average.
- Based on NOAA satellite observations, snow cover extent was the
fourth-lowest on record (since 1967), and below the 1967-2010
average for the Northern Hemisphere for the seventh consecutive
April. Warmer-than-normal conditions over North America, Europe and
parts of Russia contributed to the small snow footprint.
- The North American snow cover extent for the month was the
smallest on record for April. It also was the largest negative
anomaly, meaning difference below the long-term average, on record
for any month.
- According to Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria and
Tasmania had their warmest 12-month period since national records
began.
- According to the Beijing Climate Center, China experienced its
coolest April since 1961. Liaoning, Jilin and Shandong had their
coolest April on record. Hebei, Anhui and Jiangsu had their second
coolest April since records began in 1951.
- China had its wettest April since 1974 and Tibet had its wettest
April since records began in 1951. Meanwhile, Germany had its
second-driest April on record since 1901, behind 2007, according to
the German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst).
Scientists, researchers, and leaders in government and industry use
NOAA’s monthly reports to help track trends and other changes in the
world's climate. This climate service has a wide range of practical
uses, from helping farmers know what and when to plant, to guiding
resource managers with critical decisions about water, energy and other
vital assets.
Additional Information
April 2010 Global State of the Climate – Supplemental Figures &
Information
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