Map of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (relative to 1961-1990) expressed as percentiles of a modified 2-parameter gamma distribution. The black crosses and dashes indicate that a pixel is, respectively, the warmest or coldest example of that calendar month in the record. Coloured areas are significantly warm (orange and red) or cool (blue and magenta).
Signal: record high sea surface temperatures
Record sea temperatures drive record rains for Australia
Sea surface temperatures in the Australian region during 2010 were +0.54 °C above the 1961 to 1990 average. This is the warmest value on record for the Australian region. Individual high monthly sea surface temperature records were also set during 2010 in March, April, June, September, October, November and December. Along with favourable hemispheric circulation [...]
Record sea temps drive unprecedented hurricane Tomas
Hurricane Tomas, an unprecedented Lesser Antilles hurricane for so late in the season, is bearing down on the islands of St. Lucia and St. Vincent with Category 1 winds of 75 mph. Satellite loops of Tomas show a large and well-organized Cape Verdes-type hurricane, with good upper level outflow on all sides except the south, [...]
Global coral die-off in 2010 may be worst ever
Scientists studying Caribbean reefs say that 2010 may be the worst year ever for coral death there. Abnormally warm water since June appears to have dealt a blow to shallow and deep-sea corals that is likely to top the devastation of 2005, when 80% of corals were bleached and as many as 40% died in [...]
Record sea surface temperatures driving expanded hurricane activity
The Atlantic hurricane season of 2010 kicked into high gear this morning, with the landfall of Tropical Storm Karl in Mexico, and the simultaneous presence of two Category 4 hurricanes in the Atlantic, Igor and Julia. Tropical Storm Karl’s formation yesterday marked the fifth earliest date that an eleventh named storm of the season has [...]
Record high sea surface temperatures dominate August 2010
New record highs for sea surface temperatures, globally, outpaced new record lows in August 2010, as shown in this graph from the UK Met Office. Map of monthly average Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies (relative to 1961-1990) from HadSST2. White areas represent gridboxes containing no SST data. The black crosses and dashes indicate that a [...]
