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Climate of 2005 - December in Historical PerspectiveNational Climatic Data Center 13 January 2006 |
Global Highlights:
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Contents of this Section: |
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. |
Temperature anomalies for December 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 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 GHCN of land temperatures and the Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set (COADS) of Sea-Surface Temperature (SST) data. Temperature anomalies with respect to 1961-1990 for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. Additional information on this product is available.
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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 December 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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Current Month / Year-to-date |
December | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record |
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GlobalLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.33°C (+0.59°F) +0.41°C (+0.74°F) +0.39°C (+0.70°F) |
33rd warmest 8th warmest 9th warmest |
1939 (+1.09°C/1.96°F) 1997 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) 1997 (+0.62°C/1.12°F) |
Northern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.30°C (+0.54°F) +0.42°C (+0.76°F) +0.37°C (+0.67°F) |
35th warmest 6th warmest 13th warmest |
1939 (+1.61°C/2.90°F) 2004 (+0.57°C/1.03°F) 2003 (+0.65°C/1.17°F) |
Southern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.06°C (+0.11°F) +0.38°C (+0.68°F) +0.32°C (+0.58°F) |
55th warmest 9th warmest 13th warmest |
1972 (+0.78°C/1.40°F) 1997 (+0.61°C/1.10°F) 1997 (+0.64°C/1.15°F) |
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January-December | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record |
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GlobalLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.91°C (+1.64°F) +0.44°C (+0.79°F) +0.58°C (+1.04°F) |
2nd warmest 2nd warmest 2nd warmest |
1998 (+0.97°C/1.75°F) 1998 (+0.47°C/0.85°F) 1998 (+0.62°C/1.12°F) |
Northern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.96°C (+1.73°F) +0.51°C (+0.92°F) +0.69°C (+1.24°F) |
2nd warmest warmest 2nd warmest |
1998 (+1.02°C/1.84°F) 2nd - 2004 (+0.50°C/0.90°F) 1998 (+0.70°C/1.26°F) |
Southern HemisphereLandOcean Land and Ocean |
+0.67°C (+1.21°F) +0.40°C (+0.72°F) +0.45°C (+0.81°F) |
2nd warmest 6th warmest 4th warmest |
1998 (+0.77°C/1.39°F) 1998 (+0.47°C/0.85°F) 1998 (+0.52°C/0.94°F) |
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The maps below represent anomaly values based on the GHCN data set of land surface stations using a base period of 1961-1990. During December 2005, above average precipitation fell over areas that include the Amazon Basin, the Philippines, India, the western and northeastern U.S., and central Europe. Below average precipitation was observed in the Iberian Peninsula, South Africa, eastern Australia, Hawaii and from the U.S. southern Plains northward to the Great Lakes region. |
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Current Month |
December | Anomaly | Rank | Warmest Year on Record | Trend |
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UAH mid-trop | +0.01°C/0.02°F | 13th warmest | 1987 (+0.36°C/0.65°F) | +0.02°C/decade |
*RSS mid-trop | +0.13°C/0.23°F | 8th warmest | 2003 (+0.38°C/0.68°F) | +0.10°C/decade |
**UW-UAH mid-trop | +0.03°C/0.05°F | 15th warmest | 1987 (+0.43°C/0.77°F) | +0.10°C/decade |
**UW-*RSS mid-trop | +0.22°C/0.40°F | 7th warmest | 2003 (+0.49°C/0.88°F) | +0.16°C/decade |
*Version 02_1 |
Current Month |
December | Anomaly | Rank | Coolest Year on Record |
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UAH stratosphere | -0.68°C (-1.23°F) | 3rd coolest | 2000 (-0.80°C/-1.44°F) |
*RSS stratosphere | -0.61°C (-1.10°F) | 3rd coolest | 2000 (-0.71°C/-1.28°F) |
*Version 02_1 |
For additional details on precipitation and temperatures in December, see the Global Hazards page. |
Christy, John R., R.W. Spencer, and W.D. Braswell, 2000: MSU Tropospheric Temperatures: Dataset Construction and Radiosonde Comparisions. J. of Atmos. and Oceanic Technology 17 1153-1170. |
For all climate questions other than questions concerning this report, please contact the National Climatic Data Center's Climate Services Division:
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