Worlds oceans warmest on record this summer

September 16, 2009

(AP) -- The world's in hot water. Sea-surface temperatures worldwide have been the hottest on record over the last three months, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Wednesday.

Ocean temperatures averaged 62.5 degrees Fahrenheit in the June-August period, 1.04 degree higher than normal for the period.

And for August the world sea-surface average was 62.4 degrees, 1.03 higher than usual, also the warmest for August on record, NOAA's National Climatic Data Center said.

The report is based on data back to 1880.

The combined land and water temperature worldwide was 61.2 degrees, third warmest on record for the three-month period. For August it was 58.2 degrees, fourth warmest.

Climate change has been raising the planet's average temperature steadily in recent decades. All of the 10 hottest years on record have occurred since 1997.

On the Net: NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

• GrayMouser - Sep 22, 2009
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  To generate this result NOAA had to completely ignore the 2 most precise methods of measuring the ocean surface (and subsurface) temperatures: The Argo buoys and the satellites.
  The Argo buoys alone account for 3341 separate measuring sites giving temperatures down to 700m below the surface. They show a cooling that is in directly opposed to NOAA's statements. Which is probably why they decided to ignore them.
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