Global Highlights:
- Global average combined land and sea surface temperature was
the third warmest for November 2002 and fourth warmest for
September-November
- September-November temperatures were colder than average over
the central U.S. and northern Europe, with above average warmth
across Alaska, northern Canada, Australia and from the
Mediterranean region eastward to western China
- Precipitation during September-November was above average over
the eastern U.S. and southern Europe, while notably drier weather
occurred across northern Europe and eastern Australia
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Contents of this Section:
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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.
Introduction
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November temperature
anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network
data set of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period
show below average temperatures in the eastern half of the U.S.,
most of northern Europe and the Far East. Notable warm anomalies
were present over Alaska and western Canada, southern Europe and
the Mediterranean region, and eastern Siberia. |
Temperature
November
- For November 2002, the global average land and ocean surface
temperature was 0.57°C (1.03°F) above the 1880-2001
average, ranking as the third warmest November in the period of
record
- The warmest November occurred in 2001, with an anomaly of
+0.67°C (+1.21°F)
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September-November
- For September-November 2002, the global average land and ocean
surface temperature was 0.50°C (0.9°F) above the long term
mean, or fourth warmest for boreal fall
- Ocean surface temperatures were 0.44°C (0.79°F) above
the 1880-2001 mean, or fourth warmest for September-November.
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January-November
- The global land and ocean surface temperature average
(January-November 2002) was the second warmest such 11-month period
in the 1880-2002 record, 0.57°C (1.03°F) above the
long-term mean and 0.07°C (0.13°F) cooler than during the
El Niño year of 1998
- January-November 2002 average temperature across land and
ocean
areas also ranked as second warmest on record, or 0.93°C
(1.67°F) and 0.41°C (0.74°F) above the 1880-2001
average, respectively.
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Precipitation
- During September-November 2002, much above average
precipitation fell along the U.S Eastern Seaboard and Gulf coast,
as well as the southern half of Europe
- Below average precipitation was observed across eastern
Australia, much of the western U.S. and Pacific coast of North
America, and Scandinavia
- During the month of November,
unusually wet weather occurred in southwestern Europe, while the
western two-thirds of the U.S. and eastern Australia experienced
drier than average conditions
- Additional regional analysis can be found on the Global Hazards
page
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References:
Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global
Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol.
Soc., 78, 2837-2849.
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