The release of the September 2024 Global Climate Report was delayed approximately two weeks, until October 24, due to significant infrastructure damage from Hurricane Helene that affected operations at NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) headquarters in Asheville, NC.

In November, NCEI will return to a compressed global report release schedule that began with the release of the July 2024 report on August 12, 2024. Enhancements to the NOAAGlobalTemp dataset implemented earlier this year provide stability in the global temperature anomaly value earlier in the following month than was seen with previous versions of this dataset. Please see NCEI's Monthly Release Schedule for updated release dates through the end of 2024.

Temperature

In January 2024, the NOAA Global Surface Temperature (NOAAGlobalTemp) dataset version 6.0.0 replaced version 5.1.0. This new version incorporates an artificial neural network (ANN) method to improve the spatial interpolation of monthly land surface air temperatures. The period of record (1850-present) and complete global coverage remain the same as in the previous version of NOAAGlobalTemp. While anomalies and ranks might differ slightly from what was reported previously, the main conclusions regarding global climate change are very similar to the previous version. Please see our Commonly Asked Questions Document and web story for additional information.

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information calculates the global temperature anomaly every month based on preliminary data generated from authoritative datasets of temperature observations from around the globe. The major dataset, NOAAGlobalTemp version 6.0.0, updated in 2024, uses comprehensive data collections of increased global area coverage over both land and ocean surfaces. NOAAGlobalTempv6.0.0 is a reconstructed dataset, meaning that the entire period of record is recalculated each month with new data. Based on those new calculations, the new historical data can bring about updates to previously reported values. These factors, together, mean that calculations from the past may be superseded by the most recent data and can affect the numbers reported in the monthly climate reports. The most current reconstruction analysis is always considered the most representative and precise of the climate system, and it is publicly available through Climate at a Glance.

September 2024

September 2024 was the second warmest September on record for the globe in NOAA's 175-year record. The September global surface temperature was 1.24°C (2.23°F) above the 20th-century average of 15.0°C (59.0°F). This is 0.19°C (0.34°F) less than the record warm September of 2023, and broke the streak of 15 straight global record-breaking warm months; the first month since May 2023 that was not record warm. September 2024 marked the 50th consecutive September with global temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average and the 547th-consecutive month with temperatures at least nominally above the 20th-century average. The past eleven Septembers (2014–2024) have been the warmest Septembers on record.

The global land-only September temperature was second-warmest on record at 1.86°C (3.35°F) above average. The ocean-only temperature also was second-warmest at 0.96°C (1.73°F) above average. These temperatures occurred under ENSO-neutral conditions. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, ENSO-neutral conditions continued with near-average sea surface temperatures (SSTs) across most of the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, and La Niña is favored to emerge in September–November (60% chance) and is expected to persist through January–March 2025.

Record-warm September temperatures covered large parts of eastern Europe, eastern Canada, the Caribbean, and large parts of Southeast Asia. Much-warmer-than-average to record-warm conditions occurred in most all but the southern tip of South America and its Pacific coastal areas, much of southern Africa, northern Africa, large parts of North America, and much of the Arctic, which had its second-warmest September on record. All areas of Australia were warmer than average with widespread much above-average to record-warm conditions across the western half of the continent. A large area of much-warm-than-average temperatures also occurred in Antarctica near the Transantarctic Mountains. During September 2024, 11.7% of the world's surface had a record-high September temperature, exceeding the previous September record set in 2023 by 0.1%. Across the global land surface 11.6% had a record-high September surface air temperature. Meanwhile, 0.1% of the global land and ocean surface experienced a record-cold September temperature.

Areas with cooler-than-average September temperatures included parts of southeast Greenland, Iceland and parts of western Europe, south-central Russia and Kazakhstan. Areas in southern Africa as well as much of equatorial Africa, where rainfall was generally above average, also experienced cooler-than-average conditions in September. Cooler-than-average to much-cooler-than-average temperatures also covered much of West Antarctica as well as a large part of East Antarctica, with widespread anomalies more than -2.0°C (-3.6°F) below the 1991–2020 average.

Over the global oceans the most widespread areas of much-above-average to record-warm September temperatures occurred in the western Pacific, the Indian Ocean, and the Southern Ocean. Across the global ocean, 11.8% of its surface had a record-high temperature for the month. Only 0.1% of the global ocean was record cold in September. Widespread areas of below-average September sea surface temperatures were largely confined to the equatorial eastern Pacific, the southeastern Pacific, small parts of the southern Atlantic, and the far northern Atlantic.

In the Northern Hemisphere, September 2024 also ranked second warmest on record at 1.60°C (2.88°F) above average. This is 0.16°C (0.29°F) cooler than September 2023. The Northern Hemisphere land temperature and ocean temperature each individually ranked second warmest on record for the month. The Southern Hemisphere experienced its second warmest September on record at 0.87°C (1.57°F) above average, 0.23°C (0.41°F) cooler than September 2023. The Southern Hemisphere land temperature was sixth-warmest and the ocean temperature was second warmest for September.

September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius
September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius
September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles
September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

A smoothed map of blended land and sea surface temperature anomalies is also available.

North America had its warmest September on record at 2.61°C (4.70°F) above average, 0.21°C (0.38°F) warmer than the previous September record of 2023.

  • The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in September 2024 was 68.63°F, (20.4°C), the second-warmest September in the 130-year record. This is 0.32°F (0.18°C) cooler than the record warm September of 1998.
  • The Caribbean Islands region was 1.60°C (2.88°F) above the 1991–2020 average, its second warmest September on record, 0.01°C (0.02°C) less than September 2023.
  • The Main Development Region for Atlantic Hurricanes had its second-warmest September, 1.52°C (2.74°F) above the 1910–2000 average. This is 0.28°C (0.50°F) less than the record warm September of 2023.
  • The Gulf of Mexico also had its second warmest September on record, 0.38°C (0.68°F) cooler than 2023.

South America and Europe each had their second-warmest September while Africa had its fourth-warmest September on record.

  • In Germany, the nationwide average temperature was 1.6°C warmer than the 1991–2020 normal, which was the 12th-warmest September since the national record began in 1881.
  • In Sweden, record heat occurred early in September, when Scania's Helsingborg and Lund measured 31.1°C and set a new national September record.
  • In Austria, unusual heat at the beginning of September was followed by a very cold middle of the month and an average end of the month, and for the month as a whole the national temperature was near-average to slightly above-average temperature, 0.7°C above the 1991–2020 average in the lowlands of Austria, and -0.1°C below average in the summit regions.
  • In the United Kingdom, the September mean temperature was 12.7°C, which was -0.3°C below the 1991–2020 average, based on provisional data from the UK Met Office. Temperatures were slightly lower in Scotland and Northern Ireland than in southern and central England.
  • In Iceland, September 2024 was unusually cold across the country. The average September temperature in Reykjavík was 1.7 °C below the 1991–2020 average. In Akureyri, the average temperature was 2.4°C below the 30-year average.

Asia and Oceania each had their fourth-warmest September on record.

  • The September 2024 national mean monthly temperature for Pakistan was 1.26°C (2.27°F) above average, making it the fourth warmest September in the 64-year national record.
  • According to the Hong Kong Observatory, September was characterized by a weaker than normal northeast monsoon over southern China, contributing to much hotter than usual conditions. The mean temperature was 1.3°C (2.34°F) above the 1991–2020 average, making it the third warmest September on record.
  • According to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, the national average September temperature for New Zealand was 0.7°C (1.26°F) above the 1991-2020 September average, making it New Zealand’s ninth-warmest September since the national series began in 1909.
  • The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), reported Australia's national area-averaged mean temperature for September was 1.89°C (3.40°F) above the 1961–1990 average, the fourth-highest for September since 1910.
September Ranks and Records
SeptemberAnomalyRank
(out of 175 years)		Records
°C°FYear(s)°C°F
Global
Land+1.86+3.35Warmest2nd2023+2.31+4.16
Coolest174th1863-0.84-1.51
Ocean+0.96+1.73Warmest2nd2023+1.04+1.87
Coolest174th1904-0.46-0.83
Land and Ocean+1.24+2.23Warmest2nd2023+1.43+2.57
Coolest174th1912-0.49-0.88
Northern Hemisphere
Land+2.02+3.64Warmest2nd2023+2.23+4.01
Coolest174th1884-1.06-1.91
Ocean+1.29+2.32Warmest2nd2023+1.42+2.56
Coolest174th1912-0.57-1.03
Land and Ocean+1.60+2.88Warmest2nd2023+1.76+3.17
Coolest174th1912-0.71-1.28
Southern Hemisphere
Land+1.48+2.66Warmest6th2023+2.49+4.48
Coolest170th1925-1.33-2.39
Ocean+0.72+1.30Warmest2nd2023+0.77+1.39
Coolest174th1903-0.43-0.77
Land and Ocean+0.87+1.57Warmest2nd2023+1.10+1.98
Coolest174th1908-0.51-0.92
Antarctic
Land and Ocean+0.16+0.29Warmest72nd2013+1.84+3.31
Coolest104th1977-1.25-2.25
Arctic
Land and Ocean+2.47+4.45Warmest2nd2016+2.50+4.50
Coolest174th1897-1.32-2.38

500 mb maps

In the atmosphere, 500-millibar height pressure anomalies correlate well with temperatures at the Earth's surface. The average position of the upper-level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure—depicted by positive and negative 500-millibar height anomalies on the map—is generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively.

hgtanomaly-global-202409.png

Year-to-date Temperature: January–September 2024

The January–September global surface temperature ranked warmest in the 175-year record at 1.28°C (2.30°F) above the 1901–2000 average of 14.1°C (57.4°F). According to NCEI's statistical analysis, there is a 99.8% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record.

For the January–September year-to-date period, record-warm temperatures occurred across much of the northern two-thirds of South America, Central America, parts of northeastern Canada and the Arctic, much of Europe and Africa, areas of Southwest Asia, and a large part of China and Southeast Asia. January–September temperatures were at least 2 to 3°C (3.5 to 5°F) above average across much of eastern Canada, much of the Arctic, eastern Europe, and parts of northern Siberia, Mongolia, and China. Temperatures were also much warmer than average across a large part of the Antarctic and Australia. By contrast, the few areas with below-average year-to-date temperatures included parts of the Russian Far East, areas of southeastern Greenland and Iceland, parts of eastern Antarctica, and the southern tip of South America.

Sea surface temperatures for the January–September period were record-warm across much of the Atlantic Ocean, much of the Indian Ocean, and parts of the northwest and western equatorial Pacific Ocean. Sea surface temperatures for the nine-month period were near average to below average in much of the Bering Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Denmark Strait, much of the southeastern Pacific, and in parts of the southwestern Atlantic and southwestern Indian oceans.

January–September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius
January–September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius
January–September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles
January–September 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

A smoothed map of blended land and sea surface temperature anomalies is also available.

Overall, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere also had their warmest January–Septembers on record, 0.22°C (0.40°F), and 0.09°C (0.16°F) above the previous record year-to-date periods, respectively. North America, South America, Europe, and Africa each had their warmest January–September year-to-date periods on record. Asia and Oceania each had their third-warmest January–September.

January–September Ranks and Records
January–SeptemberAnomalyRank
(out of 175 years)		Records
°C°FYear(s)°C°F
Global
Land+1.91+3.44Warmest1st2024+1.91+3.44
Coolest175th1862-0.75-1.35
Ocean+0.99+1.78Warmest1st2024+0.99+1.78
Coolest175th1904-0.47-0.85
Land and Ocean+1.28+2.30Warmest1st2024+1.28+2.30
Coolest175th1904-0.48-0.86
Northern Hemisphere
Land+2.15+3.87Warmest1st2024+2.15+3.87
Coolest175th1884-0.91-1.64
Ocean+1.22+2.20Warmest1st2024+1.22+2.20
Coolest175th1904-0.52-0.94
Land and Ocean+1.62+2.92Warmest1st2024+1.62+2.92
Coolest175th1862, 1909, 1917-0.53-0.95
Southern Hemisphere
Land+1.35+2.43Warmest1st2024+1.35+2.43
Coolest175th1861-0.70-1.26
Ocean+0.83+1.49Warmest1st2024+0.83+1.49
Coolest175th1911-0.45-0.81
Land and Ocean+0.93+1.67Warmest1st2024+0.93+1.67
Coolest175th1911-0.45-0.81
Antarctic
Land and Ocean+0.37+0.67Warmest18th1980+0.79+1.42
Coolest158th1960-0.66-1.19
Arctic
Land and Ocean+2.31+4.16Warmest4th2016+2.92+5.26
Coolest172nd1867-1.23-2.21

Precipitation

The maps shown below represent precipitation percent of normal (left, using a base period of 1961–1990) and precipitation percentiles (right, using the period of record) based on the GHCN dataset of land surface stations.

September 2024

September 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Anomalies
September 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Anomalies
September 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Percent of Normal
September 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Percent of Normal

Precipitation data from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) shown in the maps above are now augmented by data with greater spatial coverage from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). The GHCN and GPCP map of September precipitation anomalies show areas of wetter-than-average conditions that include large parts of northern Africa extending into the eastern tropical Atlantic, large parts of the southeastern U.S., Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, and the tropical Pacific. Large parts of Europe also were wetter than average as well as much of central and eastern Russia, parts of northern China and neighboring southeastern Mongolia. By contrast, much of the central and northeastern U.S. and Alaska were drier than normal in September along with most of Mexico and all but a small portion of the continent of South America. Much of an area stretching from eastern Canada across Greenland to Scotland and Norway also were drier than average for the month. A large region of below-average precipitation also is visible in western Russia and neighboring areas to the west and south. Eastern parts of Australia were generally drier than average while much of the western half of the continent received above-average precipitation.

  • As reported by NASA's Earth Observatory, in Morocco and neighboring countries of northern Africa, an extratropical cyclone in early September pulled in moisture from equatorial Africa and brought rainfall of many tens to more than 200 mm, roughly equivalent to amounts the region typically receives in a year. Much of the rain fell in sparsely populated areas, but there were reports of destructive flash floods in villages in Morocco, damaging roads and disrupting electricity and water supplies. GPCP data shows a large expanse of record wet September conditions in those areas of Morocco and other parts of northern Africa that typically receive little rain.

  • Heavy rains in mid-September across central and eastern Europe associated with Storm Boris brought heavy rains with eastern Romania and Moldova among the worst-affected areas with reports of flooding that led to loss of life and extensive damage to infrastructure and homes.

  • As reported by the UK Met Office, September was especially wet in southern England, where rainfall was 233% of average, based on provisional data. Several counties, including Bedfordshire, Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, provisionally recorded their wettest September on record, with over 300% of the average September rainfall.

  • Austria reported its wettest September on record, with more than 80 stations setting new records for the month. Included were St. Polten and Langenlebarn, each which received 447 mm (17.6 inches) of precipitation.

  • September 2024 also was notably wetter than average in Germany, where for the country as a whole the month's precipitation was 59.5% above the 1991-2020 average, making it the seventh-wettest September since national records began in 1881.

  • According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, the national area-averaged September rainfall total was 23.2% above the 1961–1990 average. Rainfall was above average for most of Tasmania, the Northern Territory, northern and central Western Australia, and parts of far northern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.

    • References

    • Adler, R., G. Gu, M. Sapiano, J. Wang, G. Huffman 2017. Global Precipitation: Means, Variations and Trends During the Satellite Era (1979-2014). Surveys in Geophysics 38: 679-699, doi:10.1007/s10712-017-9416-4
    • Adler, R., M. Sapiano, G. Huffman, J. Wang, G. Gu, D. Bolvin, L. Chiu, U. Schneider, A. Becker, E. Nelkin, P. Xie, R. Ferraro, D. Shin, 2018. The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Monthly Analysis (New Version 2.3) and a Review of 2017 Global Precipitation. Atmosphere. 9(4), 138; doi:10.3390/atmos9040138
    • Gu, G., and R. Adler, 2022. Observed Variability and Trends in Global Precipitation During 1979-2020. Climate Dynamics, doi:10.1007/s00382-022-06567-9
    • Huang, B., Peter W. Thorne, et. al, 2017: Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature version 5 (ERSSTv5), Upgrades, validations, and intercomparisons. J. Climate, doi: 10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0836.1
    • Huang, B., V.F. Banzon, E. Freeman, J. Lawrimore, W. Liu, T.C. Peterson, T.M. Smith, P.W. Thorne, S.D. Woodruff, and H-M. Zhang, 2016: Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature Version 4 (ERSST.v4). Part I: Upgrades and Intercomparisons. J. Climate, 28, 911-930, doi:10.1175/JCLI-D-14-00006.1.
    • Menne, M. J., C. N. Williams, B.E. Gleason, J. J Rennie, and J. H. Lawrimore, 2018: The Global Historical Climatology Network Monthly Temperature Dataset, Version 4. J. Climate, in press. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-18-0094.1.
    • Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.
    • Vose, R., B. Huang, X. Yin, D. Arndt, D. R. Easterling, J. H. Lawrimore, M. J. Menne, A. Sanchez-Lugo, and H. M. Zhang, 2021. Implementing Full Spatial Coverage in NOAA's Global Temperature Analysis. Geophysical Research Letters 48(10), e2020GL090873; doi:10.1029/2020gl090873.

    Citing This Report

    NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Monthly Global Climate Report for September 2024, published online October 2024, retrieved on October 27, 2024 from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/global/202409.