October 2018 was 2nd hottest on record for the globe

Sea ice coverage at the poles still at near-record lows

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Warmth tipped the scales again last month, making it not only the 2nd hottest October on record, but also the 4th hottest year to date for the globe, according to a fresh analysis by scientists at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
A collage of typical climate and weather-related events: heatwaves, drought, hurricanes, wildfires and changes in sea ice coverage.

A collage of typical climate and weather-related events: heatwaves, drought, hurricanes, wildfires and changes in sea ice coverage. (Image credit: NOAA)

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Moreover, the 10 warmest October global temperatures have occurred since 2003. The last five Octobers (2014-2018) have been the five hottest Octobers on record.

Now let's take a look at some of the highlights from our monthly global climate report:

Climate by the numbers

October 2018

The average global temperature in October was 1.55 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 57.1 degrees. This was the second highest temperature for October in the 139-year record (1880-2018). Last month was also the 42nd consecutive October and the 406th consecutive month with temperatures above average.

The year to date // January through October

The year-to-date (YTD) average global temperature was 1.39 degrees F above the average of 57.4 degrees. This is the fourth highest on record for the January-through-October period. Europe had its hottest YTD since continental records began in 1910, logging a global temperature 3.31 degrees F above the average.

An annotated map of the world showing notable climate events that occurred in October 2018. For details, see the bulleted list below in our story and on the Web at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2018/10.
An annotated map of the world showing notable climate events that occurred in October 2018. For details, see the bulleted list below in our story and on the Web at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2018/10. (NOAA NCEI)
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More notable climate facts and stats

  • World regions with record warmth: Parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Alaska, the Bering and Barents seas, Russia, Australia and central Africa experienced record warmth.

  • Sea ice coverage still smaller than average at the poles: The average Arctic sea ice coverage (extent) in October was 27.4 percent below the 1981-2010 average, the third smallest extent for October on record. The Antarctic sea ice extent was 2.4 percent below average, the fourth smallest for October on record.

More > Access NOAA’s monthly climate report and download related maps and images.

 

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John Leslie, 301-713-0214

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