Global Highlights

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for August 2009 was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F). This is the second warmest such value on record, behind 1998. August 2009 was the 31^st consecutive August with an average global surface temperature above the 20^th century average. The last August with global temperatures below the 20^th century average occurred in 1978.
• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June-August 2009 was the third warmest on record for the season, 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F).
• For the year to date, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature of 14.5 °C (58.3 °F) tied with 2003 as the fifth-warmest January-August period on record. This value is 0.55°C (0.99°F) above the 20^th century average.
• The worldwide ocean surface temperature for August 2009 was the warmest on record for August, 0.57°C (1.03°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.4°C (61.4°F).
• The seasonal (June-August 2009) worldwide ocean surface temperature was also the warmest on record, 0.58°C (1.04°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.4°C (61.5°F).
• In the Southern Hemisphere, both the August 2009 average temperature for land areas, and the Hemisphere as a whole (land and ocean surface combined), represented the warmest August on record.
• A weak El Niño persisted across the equatorial Pacific Ocean during August 2009. Consequently, sea surface temperatures across the equatorial Pacific Ocean were between 0.7-1.0°C (1.3-1.8°F) above average during the month. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, El Niño is expected to strengthen and last through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2009-2010.

For the complete analysis (including the Jun/Jul/Aug global summaries) see:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/?report=global&year=2009&month=8&submitted=Get+Report