June 2012: Earth's 4th warmest June; heavy rains in Beijing kill 37
June 2012 was the globe's 4th warmest June on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). NASA rated May 2012 the 3rd warmest on record. June 2012 global land temperatures were the warmest on record; this makes three months in a row--April, May, and June--in which record-high monthly land temperature records were set. Global ocean temperatures were the 10th warmest on record. June 2012 was the 328th consecutive month with global temperatures warmer than the 20th century average; the last time global temperatures were below average was February 1985. We've now had three consecutive top-five warmest months on record; April 2012 was the 5th warmest April on record, and May 2012 was the 2nd warmest May on record. The increase in global temperatures relative to average, compared to March 2012 (16th warmest March on record) is due, in part, to warming waters in the Eastern Pacific, where a La Niña event ended in April, and borderline El Niño conditions now exist. Global satellite-measured temperatures in June for the lowest 8 km of the atmosphere were 4th or 3rd warmest in the 34-year record, according to Remote Sensing Systems and the University of Alabama Huntsville (UAH). Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent during June 2012 was the smallest in the 46-year period of record. Wunderground's weather historian, Christopher C. Burt, has a comprehensive post on the notable weather events of June in his June 2012 Global Weather Extremes Summary. Notably:
- The U.K. suffered through its wettest June since at least 1910, and coolest such since 1991.
- The monsoon season has been especially devastating so far along the banks of the Brahmaputra River in northeast India and Bangladesh. Over 2000 villages have been flooded and at least 190 deaths reported so far. Almost 20 million people in all have been displaced.
- The Korean Peninsula continued to endure its worst drought in at least 105 years.
Figure 1. Departure of temperature from average for June 2012. In the Northern Hemisphere, most areas experienced much higher-than-average monthly temperatures, including most of North America and Eurasia, and northern Africa. Only northern and western Europe, and the northwestern United States were notably cooler than average. Image credit: National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) .
Arctic sea ice has greatest June loss on record
Arctic sea ice saw its greatest-ever decrease during the month of June, and ice extent averaged over the entire month was the 2nd lowest for June in the 35-year satellite record, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). The last three Junes (2010 - 2012) have had the three smallest ice extents for the month, with June 2012 being the 21st consecutive June and the 133rd consecutive month with below-average Arctic sea ice extent. During much of June 2012 and extending into the first half of July, the Arctic Dipole pattern set up. This atmospheric circulation pattern features a surface high pressure system in the Arctic north of Alaska, and a low pressure system on the Eurasian side of the Arctic. This results in winds blowing from south to north over Siberia, pushing warm air into the central Arctic Ocean. The Arctic Dipole pattern occurred in all summer months of 2007 and helped support the record 2007 summer reduction in sea ice extent. The Arctic Dipole pattern has broken down over the past few days, and is expected to be absent through early August. This should slow Arctic sea ice loss, and ice extent may no longer be at record low levels by the first week of August.
Figure 2. Arctic sea ice area in 2012 as of July 22 (yellow line) compared to all the other years since satellite observations began in 1979. Ice area in 2012 during most of June and July has been the lowest on record. The previous record low years were 2007 and 2011. Note that sea ice area (as shown here) and sea ice extent (as measured by the National Snow and Ice Data Center) are not the same thing, but one can use either to quantify sea ice, and both show very similar behavior. Image credit: University of Illinois Cryosphere Today.
Three new billion-dollar weather disasters in June
The globe experienced three new billion-dollar weather disasters in June, bringing the total for the year to nine, said insurance broker Aon Benfield in their June Catastrophe Report. The most expensive disaster in June occurred in China, where heavy rains between the between June 20 - 29 affected northern, central, eastern and southern sections of the country. The rains left at least 50 people dead in 17 separate provinces, and caused damage estimated at CNY17.4 billion (USD2.73 billion). The U.S. suffered two billion-dollar severe weather events in June, bringing the total number of such events to six for the year. The record for most billion-dollar disasters in a year in the U.S. is fourteen (according to NOAA/NCDC) or seventeen (according to Aon Benfield.) The most costly event in June 2012 came across portions of Texas and New Mexico, where severe thunderstorms pelted areas (including the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region) with golf ball and baseball-sized hail. The Insurance Council of Texas said that more than 100,000 claims were filed and total insured losses in the state would exceed $1 billion, with total losses near $1.75 billion. A separate hail event in Colorado and Wyoming caused more than $700 million in insured losses, and $1.25 billion in total losses.
Figure 3. Weather disasters costing at least half a billion dollars so far in 2012, according to insurance broker Aon Benfield in their June Catastrophe Report.
Heaviest rains in 60 years deluge Beijing, killing 37
China's latest billion-dollar weather disaster is a torrential rainstorm that hit Beijing Saturday night, dumping the the heaviest rains the city has seen in 60 years, according to Associated Press. The resulting flooding killed 37 people and did $1.6 billion in damage.
Figure 4. A Chinese man uses a signboard to signal motorists driving through flooded street following a heavy rain in Beijing Saturday, July 21, 2012. China's government says the heaviest rains to hit Beijing in six decades. The torrential downpour Saturday night left low-lying streets flooded and knocked down trees. (AP Photo)
Quiet in the Atlantic
There are no threat areas to discuss in the Atlantic, and none of the reliable computer models are developing a tropical cyclone over the next seven days.
Jeff Masters
Reader Comments
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CI# /Pressure/ Vmax
5.8 / 937.0mb/109.8kt
Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't aware that AGW was related to weather ;-). I get the AGW discussions on here but so often though it's the same argument over and over.... the same argument.... again over and over.
This blog is still way heavier on the tropics. I will just do what I have in the past and that is visit when the tropics are busy and try to avoid it when AGW gets at a fever pitch.
This is my choice. This is DR Master's blog but we are all part of it as well. If I disagree or don't like a certain discussion I will, at times, put in my 2 cents worth but you won't see me telling people to go somewhere else, start their own blogs, etc. I will leave that up to the individual
12z GFS has two (very) impressive waves exiting Africa with at least one developing.
Tis the season?
This is Dr. Masters entry.
Period.
Feel free to start your first Blog entry.
Dr. Masters sells out to the Weather Channel and suddenly Atlantic Tropical Development drops to ZERO ...!!!!
COINCIDENCE????
I THINK NOT!!!
(JUST kidding.... just kidding~)
July 5, 2012
Arctic sea ice extent declined quickly in June, setting record daily lows for a brief period in the middle of the month. Strong ice loss in the Kara, Bering, and Beaufort seas, and Hudson and Baffin bays, led the overall retreat. Northern Hemisphere snow extent was unusually low in May and June, continuing a pattern of rapid spring snow melt seen in the past six years.
Nope he didn't, you are correct. I believe this stems back to a comment I made on Neo's comment to Georgia stromz England comment on the previous page. A 2 comment exchange I had with Neo.
Anyways I will not comment on this any longer as I'd be feeding into exactly what Im trying to avoid which is an argument on the discussion of GW.
Has to do with the size and location of the individual temperature "pixel"s (measurement areas) and how they overlap the BritishIsles. The "pixel"s split the main island into several pieces and combines the temperature of each piece's land area with temperatures off of each land area's coast.
With ocean area temperatures above normal because they're warmed by above-normal SeaSurfaceTemperatures, combining the larger-area above-normal ocean-temperature with the lower-area below-normal land-temperature results in an above-normal "pixel"temperature in the "pixel"s that contain both land and ocean.
Two tropical storm:
LOL..I dont know Wash, but you made it mad..Im holding you responsible..
Wise as an Owl.
: )
I decide to post my tropics non AGW comments on here and will continue to do so...
PERIOD
so nah nah nah nah...nah nah....
looks like the odds are with me tropically wise since we are in the middle of hurricane season.
Quiet in the Atlantic
There are no threat areas to discuss in the Atlantic, and none of the reliable computer models are developing a tropical cyclone over the next seven days.
How bout a nice cold Fresca ?
Spppfttt'
the wave death train?
Enhanced Infrared (IR) Imagery (4 km Mercator)
my last comment on this whole thing:
Send me WU mail if you would like to further discuss this.
Thanks
Now back to the blog
Should be more waves after that as by then its August.
click image for LOOP
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