April 2009 5th Warmest on Record Globally Year to Date Tied for 6th Warmest

Global

The National Climatic Data Center's preliminary analysis released today shows that global temperatures for April 2009 were the 5th warmest on record. This makes April somewhat warmer relative to average than March. For the January-April period, temperatures were tied with 2003 as the 6th warmest. The warmest regions relative to average were Mexico, the northeastern U.S., southern South America, and most of Europe and Asia. Areas with cooler than average temperatures were north central to southeastern U.S. and western Asia.

United States

For the contiguous United States overall, the average temperature was "51.2°F (10.7°C), which was 0.8°F (0.5°C) below the 20th century mean and ranked as the 36th coolest April on record, based on preliminary data." Regionally, much of the country had near average temperatures, but the West North Central region was cooler than average. The Northeast was warmer; New Hampshire had its 8th warmest April in records dating back to 1895.

NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index indicates that energy demand due to temperature was 2.3% below average.

Australia

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology reports that a sharp cold outbreak in the final week of the month set several record lows. The reading of -13.0°C (8.6°F) on April 29 at Charlotte Pass was a new record minimum temperature for all of Australia in April. An April record for the state of Victoria of -8.2°C (17.2°F) was set at Mount Hotham. For the country as a whole, however, Australia was "slightly warmer and drier than average" in April. Although temperatures were near or below average in the population centers of the southeast, they were generally above normal elsewhere.

Europe

In the UK, the Met Office reports that monthly temperatures were above average across the whole country, "ranging from about 1.3°C above in south-west England and south Wales to about 2.3°C above in East Anglia, south-east England and northern Scotland.

The warmth extended to northern Europe, where Deutscher Wetterdienst announced that the monthly temperature for Germany of 11.8°C in April was 4.5° above average. This made April 2009 the warmest April in records dating back to 1891. Average sunshine was 62.5% above normal, making this the second sunniest April after 1951.

Images (click to enlarge):
From NCDC/NOAA:

• Global land and sea temperature departures from average for April 2009
  
• Historical April global land and ocean temperature departures from average
  
• Historical contiguous U.S. April temperature departures from average
  
• U.S. categorical temperature ranks for April 2009

From Australian Bureau of Meteorology:

• Average daily maximum temperature departure from average for April 2009

From UK Met Office:

• UK monthly temperature departure from average for April 2009

From Deutscher Wetterdienst:

• Average monthly temperature in Germany, April 2009