NOAA
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The global land and ocean temperature departure from average for May
2018 was the fourth highest for the month of May in the NOAA global
temperature dataset record, which dates back to 1880.
The March-May and
year-to-date global temperatures were also the fourth warmest such
periods on record.
This monthly summary, developed by scientists at NOAA's National Centers
for Environmental Information, is part of the suite of climate services
NOAA provides to government, business, academia and the public to
support informed decision-making.
- The
May temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was 1.44°F above
the 20th century average of 58.6°F and the fourth highest for May in the
1880-2018 record. The years 2014-2018 rank among the five warmest Mays
on record, with 2016 the warmest May at 1.58°F above average. May 2018
also marks the 42nd consecutive May and the 401st consecutive month with
temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th century average.
- Record
warmth was observed across parts of North America., Europe and Asia as
well as the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Record cold May
temperatures were limited to northeastern Canada and the northern
Atlantic Ocean, off the southern coast of Greenland.
- The May globally averaged land surface temperature was 2.05°F above
the 20th century average of 52.0°F. This value was the smallest May
temperature departure from average since 2011 and tied with 2013 as the
seventh highest May land temperature in the 139-year record.
- The
most notable warm land temperature departures from average during May
2018 were present across much of the contiguous U.S. and Europe, where
temperatures were 5.4°F above average or higher. In contrast, the most
notable cool land temperature departures from average were present
across northeastern Canada and central Russia where temperatures were
5.4°F below average or lower.
- Europe had its warmest May since continental records began in
1910 at 4.97°F above average, surpassing the previous record set in 2003
by 1.66°F. May 2018 marked the first time in May that the continental
temperature departure from average was 3.6°F (2.0°C) or higher. Several
European countries had a record or near-record warm May temperature.
- Asia had its smallest May temperature departure from average since 2009.
- The May globally averaged sea surface temperature was 1.19°F above
the 20th century monthly average of 61.3°F – also the fourth highest
global ocean temperature for May in the record. The years 2014-2018 rank
among the five warmest Mays on record, with 2016 the warmest May at
1.39°F above average.
May 2018 Sea Ice
- The
May average Arctic sea ice extent was the second smallest in the
40-year record at 420,000 square miles (8.1 percent) below the 1981-2010
average, according to an analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (link is external)
using data from NOAA and NASA. Only the May Arctic sea ice extent in
2016 was smaller. The near-record low Arctic sea ice extent was mostly
due to much-below-average sea ice in the Bering and Chukchi Seas.
- Antarctic sea ice extent during May was 330,000 square miles (8.6
percent) below the 1981-2010 average, the third smallest May extent on
record. Antarctic sea ice expanded at a rate faster than average during
May, with below-average ice coverage continuing for parts of the Weddell
Sea.
Seasonal (March-May 2018)
- The
March-May average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was
1.48°F above the 20th century average of 56.7°F and the fourth highest
for March-May in the 1880-2018 record. This value was 0.45°F cooler than
the record high set in 2016 and was the smallest March-May temperature
departure from average since 2014.
- Record
warm temperatures during the three-month period were present across
parts of southern Europe, the Middle East, northeastern Africa, China,
Mongolia, South America and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. No
land or ocean areas had record cold temperatures during March-May 2018.
- The globally averaged land surface temperature for March-May was
2.34°F above the 20th century average of 46.4°F. This value was the the
fifth highest for March-May in the 139-year record.
- Five
continents had a March-May 2018 temperature that ranked among the nine
warmest such period since continental records began in 1910. Of note,
Europe and South America had their third warmest March-May on record.
- The March-May globally averaged sea surface temperature was 1.15°F
above the 20th century average of 61.0°F – also the fourth highest for
March-May in the record.
Year-to-Date (January-May 2018)
- The
year-to-date temperature across global land and ocean surfaces was
1.39°F above the 20th century average of 55.5°F – tying with 2010 as the
fourth highest for January-May in the 139-year record. The 2018
year-to-date value was 0.59°F lower than the record high set in 2016.
- The year-to-date globally averaged land surface temperature was
2.18°F above the 20th century average of 42.8°F. This value tied with
2002 as the fifth highest for January-May in the record.
- The year-to-date globally averaged sea surface temperature was
1.08°F above the 20th century average of 60.8°F. This was also the fifth
highest for January-May in the 1880-2018 record.
For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our
May 2018 Global Climate Report.
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