Climate Monitoring / Climate of 2005 / October / Global / Help

Climate of 2005 - October in Historical Perspective


National Climatic Data Center
15 November 2005
Global Analysis / Global Hazards / United States / U.S. Drought / Extremes
Use these links to access detailed analyses of Global and U.S. data.

Global Highlights:

  • Based on preliminary data, globally averaged combined land and sea surface temperature for October 2005 was warmest on record.
  • October temperatures were above average in North America, Asia, Europe and the majority of the African continent. Colder-than-average conditions occurred in Bolivia, Argentina, Turkey, Greenland and western Australia.
  • Precipitation during October was above average in the northeastern U.S., the Caribbean, western Europe and southern India, with drier than average conditions in South Africa, the U.S. Mississippi Valley and the majority of eastern Europe.
  • Neutral ENSO conditions continued during October.

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.
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Top of Page Introduction

Temperature anomalies for October 2005 are shown on the two maps below. The dot map on the left provides a spatial representation of anomalies calculated from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) data set of land surface stations using a 1961-1990 base period. The map on on the right is an experimental blended product of a merged land air and sea surface temperature anomaly analysis which is based on data from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) of land temperatures and the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) of SST data. Temperature anomalies with respect to 1961-1990 are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.

During October 2005, there were above average temperatures over North America, Brazil, Europe, Asia, Japan, South Africa and Algeria. Cooler than average temperatures were observed over Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, western Australia, Turkey and Greenland.

Much warmer than average SSTs occurred in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic. Cooler than average conditions were observed off the U.S. California coast and the Baja Peninsula in the northeast Pacific, off the coast of Peru in the southeast Pacific and also in several areas of the South Atlantic.
Current months Land SurfaceTemperature Dot map
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Current month's blended Land and sea surface Temperature Dot map
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The mean position of upper level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure (depicted by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies on the October 2005 map) are generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively. For other Global products see the Climate Monitoring Global Products page.

Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2005 at the weekly SST page

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Top of Page Temperature Rankings and Graphics

Current Month / Year-to-date
October Anomaly Rank Warmest Year on Record

Global

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean
+1.20°C (+2.16°F)
+0.45°C (+0.81°F)
+0.68°C (+1.22°F)
warmest
4th warmest
warmest
2nd - 2004 (+0.99°C/1.78°F)
2003 (+0.52°C/0.94°F)
2nd - 2003 (+0.65°C/1.17°F)

Northern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+1.23°C (+2.21°F)
+0.52°C (+0.94°F)
+0.80°C (+1.44°F)

warmest
4th warmest
warmest

2nd - 2003 (+1.02°C/1.84°F)
2003 (+0.62°C/1.12°F)
2nd - 2003 (+0.78°C/1.40°F)

Southern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+1.03°C (+1.85°F)
+0.41°C (+0.74°F)
+0.52°C (+0.94°F)

4th warmest
7th warmest
3rd warmest

2002 (+1.10°C/1.98°F)
1997 (+0.52°C/0.94°F)
1997 (+0.57°C/1.03°F)

Global Land and Ocean Triad plot
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Global Hemisphere Triad plot
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January-October Anomaly Rank Warmest Year on Record

Global

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean
+0.96°C (+1.73°F)
+0.44°C (+0.79°F)
+0.60°C (+1.08°F)
3rd warmest
2nd warmest
2nd warmest
1998 (+1.03°C/1.85°F)
1998 (+0.49°C/0.88°F)
1998 (+0.65°C/1.17°F)

Northern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+0.98°C (+1.76°F)
+0.52°C (+0.94°F)
+0.70°C (+1.26°F)

3rd warmest
warmest
2nd warmest

1998 (+1.07°C/1.93°F)
2nd - 1998 (+0.50°C/0.90°F)
1998 (+0.73°C/1.31°F)

Southern Hemisphere

Land
Ocean
Land and Ocean

+0.79°C (+1.42°F)
+0.40°C (+0.72°F)
+0.47°C (+0.85°F)

2nd warmest
4th warmest
3rd warmest

1998 (+0.85°C/1.53°F)
1998 (+0.49°C/0.88°F)
1998 (+0.56°C/1.01°F)

Global Land and Ocean Triad plot
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Global Hemisphere Triad plot
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The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.

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Top of Page Precipitation

The maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN data set of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. During October 2005, above average precipitation fell over areas that include India, eastern Australia, Turkey, southern coastal Brazil, western Europe, the Caribbean, the U.S. northeast and southern Great Plains. Below average precipitation was observed in Alaska, the majority of eastern Europe, South Africa and parts of Scandinavia.


Precipitation Dot map in Millimeters for October
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Percent Precipitation for October
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Top of Page ENSO SST Analysis




Last week of the month's ENSO condtions Map
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  • SSTs remained near average to slightly below average in the equatorial tropical Pacific during October, indicative of ENSO neutral conditions (shown in the adjacent animation of weekly sea surface temperature anomalies). A comprehensive summary of October 2005 ENSO conditions can be found on the ENSO monitoring page. For the latest advisory on ENSO conditions go to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) and the CPC ENSO Diagnostic Discussion

  • Images of sea surface temperature conditions are available for all weeks during 2005 at the weekly SST page

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Top of Page Troposphere

Current Month
The table below summarizes mid-tropospheric conditions for October 2005. These temperatures are for the atmospheric layer centered in the mid-troposphere (approximately 2-6 miles above the Earth's surface) which also includes a portion of the lower stratosphere. (The MSU channel used to measure mid-tropospheric temperatures receives about 25 percent of its signal above 6 miles). For additional information on MSU data used in this report, please see the Microwave Sounding Unit page.

The UAH, RSS and UW-UAH data all indicate that October 2005 was the 3rd warmest on record. The UW-RSS data indicate 2nd warmest.


October Anomaly Rank Warmest Year on Record Trend
UAH mid-trop +0.23°C/0.41°F 3rd warmest 1998 (+0.36°C/0.65°F) +0.08°C/decade
*RSS mid-trop +0.40°C/0.72°F 3rd warmest 1998 (+0.45°C/0.81°F) +0.17°C/decade
**UW-UAH mid-trop +0.34°C/0.61°F 3rd warmest 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F) +0.16°C/decade
**UW-*RSS mid-trop +0.54°C/0.97°F 2nd warmest 1998 (+0.59°C/1.06°F) +0.25°C/decade
*Version 02_1


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Top of Page Stratosphere

Current Month
The table below summarizes stratospheric conditions for October 2005. The stratosphere is located between 10-14 miles above the Earth's surface. Over the last decade, stratospheric temperatures have been below average in large part due to the depletion of ozone. The large increase in temperature in 1982 was caused by the volcanic eruption of El Chichon in Mexico, and the increase in 1991 was a result of the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in the Philippines. Therefore the base period used is 1984-1990 which was chosen to avoid contamination by these eruptions.

October Anomaly Rank Coolest Year on Record
UAH stratosphere -0.61°C (-1.10°F) 4th coolest 2000 (-0.79°C/-1.42°F)
*RSS stratosphere -0.71°C (-1.28°F) 2nd coolest 1996 (-0.72°C/-1.30°F)
*Version 02_1


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For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in October, see the Global Hazards page .
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Top of Page 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.
For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:

Climate Services Division
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151 Patton Avenue, Room 010
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4876
phone: 828-271-4800
email: ncdc.orders@noaa.gov
For questions about this report, please contact:

Jay Lawrimore
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: Jay.Lawrimore@noaa.gov
-or-
David Easterling
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center
151 Patton Avenue
Asheville, NC 28801-5001
fax: 828-271-4328
email: David.Easterling@noaa.gov
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Climate Monitoring / Climate of 2005 / October / Global / Help