–January–June 2013 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

With ENSO-neutral conditions present during the first half of 2013, the January–June global temperature across land and ocean surfaces tied with 2003 as the seventh warmest such period, at 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20^th century average. The global land temperature was the sixth highest for January–June since records began in 1880, with the Southern Hemisphere land areas fourth warmest for the period and the Northern Hemisphere land areas eighth warmest. According to the Land Ocean Temperature Percentile map above, a region of coastal west Africa, part of Greece, northwestern Iran, much of the southern Philippines, and central and south central Australia were record warm for the period. The global ocean temperature was tied with 2007 and 2009 as the seventh highest for January–June, with the Indian Ocean south of Australia, the Black Sea, small sections of the Arctic Ocean, and part of the equatorial western Pacific having record warmth. No record cold regions over land or water were observed for the January–June period.

The most current data may be accessed via the Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page.

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Precipitation

The maps below represent precipitation percent of normal (left) and precipitation percentiles (right) based on the GHCN dataset of land surface stations using a base period of 1961–1990. As is typical, precipitation anomalies during June 2013 varied significantly around the world. As indicated by the June precipitation percentiles map below, the eastern United States and much of India were much wetter than average, with record rainfall across portions of India. Record precipitation was also observed in part of central North America and in eastern Europe around Moldova and the Ukraine. Record dryness was present across southeastern Algeria, eastern Niger, and parts of the Ivory Coast and Ghana in Africa, as well as part of the southwestern United States, a region of eastern Australia, and far northwestern Russia.

• Some regions in New Zealand were record wet for June. According to NIWA, eastern and northern parts of the South Island and southern and southeastern parts of the North Island had the most anomalous rainfall, two to four times higher than the monthly average in some regions.
• June was drier than average across the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific Ocean as drought gripped the area. A state of disaster had been declared for the northern region on May 8^th and was renewed on June 7^th, with the atolls of Wotje and Utirik hardest hit. Please visit the June U.S. drought report for more details.
• Northern Austria was wet for June, with rainfall up to 1.5 times higher than average. Several areas, including Bregenz, Rohrbach, Laa an der Thaya, and Vienna observed record monthly precipitation. This contrasts with regions to the south of the Alps, which were dry. Preliminary data indicate that Villach likely had its driest June since local records began in 1888, according to ZAMG.
• Norway had its fourth wettest June since national records began in 1900, with average rainfall 60 percent higher than the monthly average.
• June marks the onset of the southwest Asian monsoon season. For the month, India as a whole received rainfall 27 percent above the 1951–2000 average, according to the India Meteorological Department. Northwest India received nearly double (+97 percent) its June average; flooding devastated regions in Uttarakhand. Only the region of East and Northeast India was below average (-37 percent) for the month.