Global and regional climate in 1996

• Published in: Weather 1997-06, Vol.52 (6), p.174-182
• Main Authors: Horton, E. B., Parker, D. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0043-1656; 1477-8696
• DOI: 10.1002/j.1477-8696.1997.tb06304.x

Analysis of a worldwide blend of land surface air temperatures (Jones 1994) and sea surface temperatures (Parker et al. 1995) shows that the global average surface temperature for 1996 was 0.22 degC above the 1961-90 climatological value. This was considerably lower than in 1995, but 1996 was still among the ten warmest years since records became sufficiently reliable around 1860. The drop in global temperature was entirely due to the Northern Hemisphere, where the anomaly fell from 0.54 degC in 1995 to 0.23 degC in 1996. In the Southern Hemisphere, the anomaly was 0.21 degC in both years. The authors employ graphs showing global and hemispheric annual combined land surface air and sea surface temperature anomalies for the period 1860-1996, with respect to the average for 1961-90, and maps illustrating surface temperature anomalies in 1996, relative to 1961-90, as well as anomalies for 1996 expressed as percentiles of gamma distributions. Regional and local conditions in Central England including daily Central England temperature for 1996, monthly mean Central England temperature for 1961-90 and 1996, England and Wales rainfall for July and August, 1766-1996, expressed as a percentage of the 1961-90 climatological value, and annual rainfall anomalies (in percentage standardised units) for the Sahel during the twentieth century are presented in this summary.