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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September 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 of 2-4°C (3.6-7.2°F) from the Iberian
Peninsula, eastward across the Mediterranean region as well as
parts of Siberia. Notable warm anomalies of +2 to +4°C (+3.6 to
+7.2°F) were present across the eastern two-thirds of the
United States, parts of Australia and large portions of central
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Temperature
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September
- For September 2002, the global average land and ocean surface
temperature was 0.47°C (0.85°F) above the 1880-2001
average, ranking as the fourth warmest September in the period of
record
- The warmest September occurred 4 years ago (1998)
- The September land surface temperature average was second
warmest on record, 0.62°C (1.12°F) above average
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January-September
- The global land and ocean surface temperature average
(January-September 2002) was the second warmest such 9-month period
in the 1880-2002 record, 0.58°C (1.04°F) above the
long-term mean and 0.08°C (0.14°F) cooler than during the
El Niño year of 1998
- January-September 2002 average temperature across land areas
also ranked as second warmest on record, or 0.98°C (1.76°F)
above the 1880-2001 average
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- Serial monthly global surface temperature departures with
respect to a 1971-2000 mean are shown in the figure to the
right
- The recent return to record or near record temperature
departures is evident, and globally averaged surface temperatures
(land and ocean) have been warmer than the 1971-2000 average for
the last 77 consecutive months
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Precipitation
- During September 2002, much above average precipitation fell
across the Mediterranean region, the U.S. Gulf Coast and parts of
Southeast Asia where western Pacific typhoons brought locally
excessive rainfall
- Below average precipitation was observed across much of the
western two-thirds of the U.S., much of Australia, India and from
Mongolia into northeastern China
- Additional regional analysis can be found on the Global Hazards
page
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Microwave Sounding Unit Data
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- Temperatures in the lowest 8km (5 miles) of the troposphere
were 0.25°C (0.45°F) above average during September 2002,
the third warmest September since satellite records began in
1979
- September 2002 temperatures in the Southern
Hemisphere were 0.38°C (0.68°F) above average, the
warmest September in the satellite period of record (1979 to
present)
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- September 2002 temperatures were below average in the lower
stratosphere, with a departure of -0.35°C (-0.63°F)
- Stratospheric temperatures were the coldest on record for
September in the Northern
Hemisphere, or 1.05°C (1.89°F) below average.
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Lower tropospheric and lower stratospheric temperature data are
collected by NOAA's TIROS-N polar-orbiting satellites and adjusted
for time-dependent biases by NASA and the Global Hydrology and
Climate Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
For additional details on precipitation and
temperatures in September, see the Global
Hazards 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.
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