NOAA supplies some global climate perspective for July 2008

NOAA gives the global highlights of the current year's climate:

• Based on preliminary data, the globally averaged combined land and sea surface temperature was the fifth warmest on record for July and the ninth warmest for the January-July year-to-date period.
• July 2008 temperatures were above average in Japan, the British Isles, northwestern Africa, the northwestern and northeastern continental U.S., and most of South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Meanwhile, cooler-than-average conditions were present across far northwestern Europe, the southern and western coast of Alaska, and north-central Russia.
• Precipitation during July 2008 was variable in many areas. In general, precipitation was above average in the British Isles, northeastern Australia, central Russia, parts of the eastern half of the continental U.S., and eastern Asia. Drier-than-average conditions were observed across Norway, the western and north-central contiguous U.S., southern Australia, parts of South America and Asia.
• El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions remained in a neutral phase during July….