Warmest April on record makes 11 months of record-setting temperatures
Highlights:
- Temperatures were above average over much of the globe, while most of Australia, Scandinavia and northwest Russia were cooler than average.
- The Northern Hemisphere’s snow cover extent in April was the smallest on record.
- Global tropical cyclone activity was below average, with only two named storms.
Temperature
The April global surface temperature was 2.38°F (1.32°C) above the 20th-century average of 56.7°F (13.7°C), making it the warmest April on record and the 11th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is a 61% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and a 100% chance that it will rank in the top five.
April temperatures were above average across most of the global land surface except for much of mainland Australia, Scandinavia and northwest Russia, parts of southern Asia and East Africa and much of east Antarctica. South America had its warmest April on record while Europe had its second warmest. Sea surface temperatures were above average over most areas (and record warm over the tropical Atlantic Ocean), while parts of the Southern, southeastern Pacific and southern Indian Oceans were below average. The global oceans have been record warm since April 2023.
Temperatures in the mid-troposphere (approximately 2–6 miles above the Earth’s surface) were record warm in April, according to satellite data from NESDIS. Each of the past ten months set global records for the mid-troposphere.
The year-to-date (January–April) global surface temperature was 2.41°F (1.34°C) above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest such period on record. South America and Europe had their warmest year-to-date period, whereas Africa and North America were second warmest.
Snow Cover
Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in April was the smallest on record. Both Eurasia and North America were below average (by 350,000 and 470,000 square miles, respectively). In general, much of western Russia and southern Canada were below average whereas parts of eastern Russia and China were above average.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the tenth smallest in the 46-year record at 7.84 million square miles, which was 370,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Arctic sea ice extent was below average (by 80,000 square miles), and Antarctic sea ice extent was also below average (by 290,000 square miles).
Tropical Cyclones
Two named storms occurred across the globe in April, which was below the 1991–2020 average of four. The only major storm was Severe Tropical Cyclone Olga, which brought high surf conditions to northwestern Australia. The only other storm during the month was Tropical Cyclone Paul, which remained off the coast of northeastern Australia.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our April 2024 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
