Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

World

High temperatures make April 2019 second hottest month on record

Five of the hottest recorded Aprils have occurred in the past decade, according to NOAA and the Japan Meteorological Agency, with April 2017 and 2018 being the third and fourth hottest months respectively across the globe. April 2014 and 1998 tied for fifth.

The data is following a trend, with increasing temperatures and extreme weather events tied to the globe’s climate crisis. NOAA’s data for the last 12 months ending in April found that the U.S. also had the wettest yearlong stretch on record.

Untitled

NOAA


The average temperature across global land and ocean surfaces in April was 1.67 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 56.7 degrees F. Record-warm April temperatures were present across parts of Greenland, Scandinavia, the Barents Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, western Indian Ocean, central Africa, Asia, and the southern Pacific Ocean. No land or ocean areas had record-cold April temperatures.

The greatest warming of land surfaces occurred across Greenland, Scandinavia and northern and central Asia, where temperatures were at least 5.4°F higher than average. While many regions of the world set records for heat, the Caribbean region had its least warm April since 2012.

Sea ice extent in April 2019.  The Arctic is on the left and Antarctica is on the right.

Sea ice extent in April 2019. The Arctic is on the left and Antarctica is on the right.
NOAA


There were some notable cooler temperatures than usual, mainly across Canada and down into the north-central portion of the U.S. and the southern ocean off the southern coast of Australia, where temperature averages were 1.8°F below average or cooler. Canada and the north-central U.S. had temperature deviations of about 3.6 degrees F below average.

Arctic sea ice extent made the news again with 2019 being the 18th consecutive April with Arctic sea ice extent below average. Rapid ice loss, of about 50 percent, through mid-month in the Sea of Okhotsk, contributed to the record low extent. The Bering Sea had near-record low sea ice extent at 66 percent below average, trailing behind April 2018, which had a 76 percent below average loss. Antarctica also experienced a record low sea ice extent for the third year in a row.

Avatar photo
Written By

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

You may also like:

World

Immigration is a symptom of a much deeper worldwide problem.

Business

Saudi Aramco President & CEO Amin Nasser speaks during the CERAWeek oil summit in Houston, Texas - Copyright AFP Mark FelixPointing to the still...

Business

Traveling in NY is already costly, but it just got worse: transit authorities have approved a controversial $15 toll, set to take effect in...

Business

The US central bank should either scale back or delay its interest rate cuts in response to "disappointing" inflation data.