April 2012 5th Warmest April on Record

After the coolest March since 1999 (note: still above average), the combined global land and ocean temperature for April 2012 was 0.65°C (1.17°F) above the 20^th century average of 13.7°C (56.7°F), making it the 5th warmest April on record.

April 2012 Temperature Anomalies • Click graphic for Full-Earth image

Much of the well above-average land temperatures were concentrated on Earth’s land areas, making the April’s global land area the 2nd warmest on record (after April 2007). Some highlights include warmer than normal temperatures across Russia, the United States, Alaska, and parts of the Middle East and western Europe. On the other hand, the United Kingdom experienced its coolest April since 1989. Lastly, April 2012 marks the 326^th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average.

Stay tuned for more April 2012 climate information in the coming days.

Helpful Resources for More Information

• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
• http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/ NCDC’s Global Climate Report

Credits:

Dan Pisut, NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab

Patrick Rowley, Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

References:

NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for April 2012, published online May 2012, retrieved on May 15, 2012 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/.