13 consecutive months of record-warm global temperatures and the second-lowest June Antarctic sea ice extent
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Highlights:
- Temperatures were above average over much of the globe with Africa, Asia and South America having their warmest June on record.
- Sea surface temperatures were record warm for the 15th consecutive month.
- Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent and global sea ice extent were both below average.
- Global tropical cyclone activity was below average, with only two named storms.
Temperature
Red indicates warmer than average and blue indicates colder than average.
The June global surface temperature was 2.20°F (1.22°C) above the 20th-century average of 59.9°F (15.5°C), making it the warmest June on record and the 13th consecutive month of record-high global temperatures. According to NCEI’s Global Annual Temperature Outlook, there is almost a 60% chance that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record and a 100% chance that it will rank in the top five.
June temperatures were above average across most of the global land surface except for western Canada, most of Greenland, southern South America, northwestern Russia, eastern Asia, eastern Australia and much of eastern Antarctica. Africa, Asia and South America each had their warmest June on record while Europe had its second warmest. Sea surface temperatures were above average over most areas, while parts of the tropical eastern Pacific and southeastern Pacific 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 June, according to satellite data from NESDIS. Each of the past 12 months set global records for the mid-troposphere.
The year-to-date (January–June) global surface temperature was 2.32°F (1.29°C) above the 20th-century average, making it the warmest such period on record. South America, Europe and Africa each had their warmest year-to-date period, whereas North America was second warmest.
Snow Cover
Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in June was the 12th smallest on record. Both Eurasia and North America were below average (by 310,000 and 290,000 square miles, respectively). In general, snow cover was below average over most areas except for parts of western Siberia and small parts of China, Pakistan and far-western Canada, which were above-average.
Sea Ice
Global sea ice extent was the second smallest in the 46-year record at 8.75 million square miles, which was 810,000 square miles below the 1991–2020 average. Arctic sea ice extent was below average (by 150,000 square miles), and Antarctic sea ice extent was also below average (by 660,000 square miles), ranking second lowest on record.
Tropical Cyclones
Two named storms occurred across the globe in June, which was below the 1991–2020 average. Both storms formed in the Atlantic Basin. The first was Tropical Storm Alberto, which made landfall in northern Mexico. The second was Hurricane Beryl, which ultimately became a Category 5 storm that caused extensive and severe damage across the Windward Islands. Beryl was the earliest Category 5 Atlantic hurricane on record.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our June 2024 Global Climate Report or explore our Climate at a Glance Global Time Series.
