Global ocean surface temperatures broke all time highs for August and the northern hemisphere summer.
• The June-August worldwide ocean surface temperature was also the warmest on record at 62.5 degrees F, 1.04 degrees F above the 20th century average of 61.5 degrees F.
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• The worldwide ocean surface temperature of 62.4 degrees F was the warmest on record for any August, and 1.03 degrees F above the 20th century average of 61.4 degrees F.
August warmth in the southern hemisphere broke all time records.
• The Southern Hemisphere average temperatures for land and ocean surface combined were the warmest on record for August.
This August was the second warmest on record for land and water just behind the super El Nino year of 1998. The cooling effects of the deep solar minimum, the quietest sun in 100 years, were not able to counteract the effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and a weak to moderate El Nino.
NCDC scientists also reported that the combined average global land and ocean surface temperature for August was second warmest on record, behind 1998. For the June-August 2009 season, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was third warmest on record.
SST Anomalies for August 31, 2009
By NOAA FishOutofWater
I'm enjoying warm water temperatures on vacation body surfing at Cape Hatteras this week. The Gulf Stream has been exceptionally warm. The warm temperatures let me stay in the water comfortably for 5 hours yesterday without a wet suit. However, warm water temperatures are creating hot spots that threaten the health of coral reefs and temperature sensitive marine organisms. The intense hot spots off of central America and western Africa pose severe threats to coral reefs there.
By NOAA FishOutofWater
The warm Atlantic temperatures have not led to an active Atlantic hurricane season because El Nino has caused strong westerly winds at high levels, shearing storms as they approach the north American side of the Atlantic ocean. However, I enjoying surfing waves from hurricane Fred yesterday that were generated before it was torn apart by wind shear.
I suspect that the Pacific ocean is having a very intense hurricane/typhoon season this year because the waters are so warm.
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