Global Temperature Update: 5th Warmest November, 2nd Warmest Fall, 8th Warmest Year to Date

The National Climatic Data Center preliminary analysis for November 2012 shows that it was the 5th warmest November globally since records began in 1880. For meteorological autumn (September-November), it was the 2nd warmest, and for 2012 to date, it was the 8th warmest. Monthly global temperatures have been among their respective top 5 months for each of the 8 months since April. All of the 10 warmest Novembers have occurred in the last 12 years.

From the NCDC:

The average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for November 2012 was 0.67°C (1.21°F) above the 20th century average of 12.9°C (60.4°F). This is the fifth warmest November since records began in 1880. Including this November, the 10 warmest Novembers have occurred in the past 12 years.

The average combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September–November 2012 was 0.67°C (1.21°F) above the 20th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F), marking the second warmest September–November on record, behind 2005.

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for January–November 2012 was the eighth warmest such period on record, at 0.59°C (1.06°F) above the 20th century average.

Images (click to enlarge): Global surface temperature anomalies (°C) for November 2012 and global surface temperature anomalies for November from 1880 through 2012, from NCDC