November 2017 Global Climate Report

November 2017 Selected Climate
Anomalies and Events Map

Introduction

Temperature anomalies and percentiles are shown on the gridded maps below. The anomaly map on the left is a product of a merged land surface temperature (Global Historical Climatology Network, GHCN) and sea surface temperature (ERSST.v4) anomaly analysis as described in Huang et al. (2016). Temperature anomalies for land and ocean are analyzed separately and then merged to form the global analysis. For more information, please visit NCEI's Global Surface Temperature Anomalies page. The percentile map on the right provides additional information by placing the temperature anomaly observed for a specific place and time period into historical perspective, showing how the most current month, season or year compares with the past.

Temperatures

In the atmosphere, 500-millibar height pressure anomalies correlate well with temperatures at the Earth's surface. The average position of the upper-level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure—depicted by positive and negative 500-millibar height anomalies on the November 2017 and September–November 2017 maps—is generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively.

November

November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Percentiles

During November 2017, warmer-than-average temperatures dominated across much of the world's land and ocean surfaces, with the most notable temperature departures from average across the Northern Hemisphere. Parts of the western contiguous U.S., northern Canada, northern and western Alaska, western Asia and Far Eastern Russia had temperature departures from average that were +2.0°C (+3.6°F) or greater. Record warmth was limited to the southwestern contiguous U.S., the oceans off the southeastern coast of Australia, and scattered across parts of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, western Pacific Ocean, and across parts of southern Asia. Meanwhile, near- to cooler-than-average conditions were present across much of Canada, central Asia, and the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean. No land or ocean areas had record cold temperatures during November 2017. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, South America and Asia had their 10th highest November temperature in the 108-year continental records. Meanwhile, Africa had its lowest temperature departure from average since 2011.

The combined global average temperature over the land and ocean surfaces for November 2017 was 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average of 12.9°C (55.2°F). This value tied with 2016 as the fifth highest for November since global temperature records began in 1880. November 2017 marks the 41st consecutive November and the 395th consecutive month with temperatures at least nominally above the 20th century average. The 10 warmest Novembers have occurred during the 21st century. The global land and ocean temperature during November has increased at an average rate of +0.07°C (+0.13°F) per decade since 1880; however, the average rate of increase is twice as great since 1980. The global land surface temperature was the ninth highest on record at 1.10°C (1.98°F) above the 20th century average of 5.9°C (42.6°F).

Select national information is highlighted below. Please note that different countries report anomalies with respect to different base periods. The information provided here is based directly upon these data:

• Portugal's November 2017 national average mean temperature was 0.5°C (0.9°F) above average. The maximum (daytime) temperature was the highest for November since 1982 and the fifth highest November maximum temperature since 1931. Meanwhile, minimum (nighttime) temperatures were below average and the fifth lowest since 2000.
• November 2017 was Austria's coolest November since 2007. The nationally-averaged temperature was 0.2°C (0.4°F) above average.
• The Kingdom of Bahrain's November 2017 mean temperature tied with 1954 as the highest November mean temperature since national records began in 1902 at 26.0°C (78.8°F) or 1.7°C (3.1°F) above average. The nation's maximum temperature for the month was the seventh highest, while the minimum temperature was the highest (+2.2°C / +4.0°F) on record.
• Australia's national November 2017 mean temperature was above average at 0.70°C (1.26°F) and the 18th highest November temperature in the nation's 108-year record. Regionally, Tasmania and Victoria had their highest and second highest November temperature on record, respectively. Western Australia had its ninth highest on record.
• New Zealand also experienced above-average temperatures during November 2017, with a national temperature of 14.8°C (58.6°F) or 1.1°C (2.0°F) above the 1981–2010 average. This was the sixth highest November temperature since national records began in 1909. Several locations set record or near-record temperatures for the month. Of note, Cromwell had a mean temperature of 17.4°C (63.3°F), which is 3.7°C (6.7°F) above average and the highest November temperature for this location since 1949.

Across the oceans, the average global ocean surface temperature during November 2017 was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20th century average of 15.8°C (60.4°F)—the fourth highest November temperature in the 138-year record.

La Niña conditions prevailed across the tropical Pacific Ocean during November 2017. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions are expected to persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter (Southern Hemisphere summer) 2017–18. This forecast focuses on the ocean surface temperatures between 5°N and 5°S latitude and 170°W to 120°W longitude, called the Niño 3.4 region.

November Global Land and Ocean plot

November Global Hemisphere plot

Seasonal (September–November)

September–November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

September–November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Percentiles

The period of September–November is defined as the Northern Hemisphere's autumn and the Southern Hemisphere's spring.

September–November 2017 was characterized by warmer- to much-warmer-than-average conditions across much of the world's land and ocean surfaces. Record warmth was sparse, but spread across the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and across the western and southwestern Pacific Ocean, and across parts of southern North America and southern Asia. Near to cooler-than-average conditions were present across central Russia, Japan, and surrounding oceans, western Canada, and central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, and along the western coast of South America. No land or ocean areas had record cold temperatures during the autumn/spring season. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, all six continents had a top ten warm September–November period since records began in 1910.

The September–November 2017 seasonal global land and ocean temperature was 0.75°C (1.35°F) above the 20th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F)—the fourth highest temperature departure from average for September–November in the 1880–2017 period. This was also the lowest temperature departure from average for any three-month period since June–August 2014. The global land and ocean temperature during the three-month period of September–November has increased at an average rate of +0.07°C (+0.13°F) per decade since 1880; however, the average rate of increase is twice as great since 1980.

The globally-averaged temperature across land surfaces for the three-month period of September–November 2017 was the fifth highest on record for the season, at 1.06°C (1.91°F) above the 20th century average of 9.1°C (48.3°F). This was the smallest temperature departure from average for any three-month period since October–December 2016. Across the world's oceans, the September–November average sea surface temperature was 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the 20th century average of 16.0°C (60.7°F) and the fourth highest such period in the 138-year record.

Select national information is highlighted below. (Please note that different countries report anomalies with respect to different base periods. The information provided here is based directly upon these data):

• Autumn 2017 was warmer-than-average for Portugal, with the national mean temperature ranking as the fifth highest since 2000. However, the national maximum temperature was the highest since records began in 1931.
• Australia experienced very warm conditions during spring 2017, with a national mean temperature of 1.13°C (2.03°F) above the 1961–1990 average and the sixth highest on record. The nation's maximum and minimum temperatures were among the top 10 warmest on record. Regionally, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania had a top 10 warm September–November period, with Tasmania having its highest spring temperature on record.
• The September–November 2017 national temperature for New Zealand was the second highest spring temperature since national records began in 1909, at 0.9°C (1.6°F) above the 1981–2010 average. Regionally, temperatures were above average across much of New Zealand, with only one station (Appleby) having below-average temperatures during spring 2017.

September–November Global Land and Ocean plot

September–November Global Hemisphere plot

Year-to-date (January–November)

January–November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

January–November 2017 Blended Land and Sea Surface
Temperature Percentiles

The January–November 2017 period was the third warmest such period in the 138-year record for the world's land and ocean surfaces, with an average temperature that was 0.84°C (1.51°F) above the 20th century average of 14.0°C (57.2°F). This value falls behind the record year 2016 and 2015 (second highest). With one month remaining, the 2017 global land and ocean temperature will likely end among the three highest years in the 138-year record and would be the warmest year with ENSO-neutral conditions.

The first eleven months of the year where characterized by much-warmer-than-average conditions engulfing much of the world's land and ocean surfaces. Record warmth was present across the western and central Pacific Ocean, the northern and western Indian Ocean, and was scattered across eastern Asia, southern North America, southern South America, eastern Africa, and the ocean surrounding the Iberian Peninsula. Near to cooler-than-average conditions were limited to parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, the tropical Pacific Ocean, northern Atlantic Ocean, and eastern Indian Ocean. No land or ocean areas had record cold temperatures. According to NCEI's Regional Analysis, all six continents had a top seven warm year-to-date, with South America and Asia having their second highest January–November temperature.

The global land surface temperature was 1.30°C (2.34°F) above the 20th century average of 9.0°C (48.1°F) and ties with 2015 as the second highest value for the year-to-date, behind 2016. The global ocean surface temperature was the third highest such period at 0.67°C (1.21°F) above the 20th century average of 16.1°C (61.0°F), behind 2015 and 2016.

January–November Global Land and Ocean plot

January–November Global Hemisphere plot

Precipitation

November

The maps below represent precipitation percent of normal (left, using a base period of 1961–1990) and precipitation percentiles (right, using the period of record) based on the GHCN dataset of land surface stations. As is typical, precipitation anomalies vary significantly around the world. November precipitation was generally drier than normal across most of the eastern and southwestern contiguous U.S., Mexico, northern Venezuela, northeastern Brazil, the southern half of South America, western Europe, and parts of southern eastern, and central Asia. Wetter-than-normal conditions were notable across northern, central, and eastern Europe, central and eastern Russia, and across parts of Canada, southern Argentina, and southern Australia.

Select national information is highlighted below. (Please note that different countries report anomalies with respect to different base periods. The information provided here is based directly upon these data):

• Dry conditions plagued Portugal during November 2017, with the nation receiving only 50% of its normal precipitation for the month. This was the seventh driest November since 2000.
• Several locations across New Zealand had their driest November on record. Of note, the town of Orari had no rainfall during November 2017—marking the first time since records began in 1897 that this location had zero rainfall for a whole month.

November 2017 Land-Only Precipitation
Percent of Normal

November 2017 Land-Only Precipitation Percentiles

Seasonal (September–November)

The autumn/spring precipitation was generally drier than normal across the southern contiguous U.S., northeastern Brazil, southwestern South America, western Europe, and across parts of western India. Wetter-than-normal conditions were notable across Mongolia, central Russia, eastern Europe, the northern contiguous U.S., and southeastern South America.

• Overall, Portugal had its second driest autumn since records began in 1931, behind 1971. November 2017 was the eighth consecutive month with precipitation values below normal. The April–November period was the driest since 1931, with only 30% of its normal precipitation total.
• Northern and central Argentina had drier-than-average conditions during November 2017. However, above-average precipitation was limited to southern parts of the country. Of note, the city of Viedma had a total of 82.5 mm (3.2 inches) for the month—the wettest November since records began in 1961 and surpassing the previous record set in 1986 by 7.2 mm (0.3 inch).

September – November 2017 Land-Only Precipitation
Percent of Normal

September – November 2017 Land-Only Precipitation Percentiles

References

• Peterson, T.C. and R.S. Vose, 1997: An Overview of the Global Historical Climatology Network Database. Bull. Amer. Meteorol. Soc., 78, 2837-2849.
• Huang, B., V.F. Banzon, E. Freeman, J. Lawrimore, W. Liu, T.C. Peterson, T.M. Smith, P.W. Thorne, S.D. Woodruff, and H-M. Zhang, 2016: Extended Reconstructed Sea Surface Temperature Version 4 (ERSST.v4). Part I: Upgrades and Intercomparisons. J. Climate, 28, 911-930.

[ top ]

Citing This Report

Metadata