• The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for October 2010 was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F) and was the eighth warmest on record. October 2003 is the warmest October on record.
• The October worldwide land surface temperature was 0.91°C (1.64°F) above the 20^th century average of 9.3°C (48.7°F)—the sixth warmest October on record.
• The October worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.40°C (0.72°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.9°C (60.6°F) and was the tenth warmest October on record.
• For January–October 2010, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature was 0.63°C (1.13°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.1°C (57.4°F) and tied with 1998 as the warmest January–October period on record.

• The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for September 2010 was 0.50°C (0.90°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.0°C (59.0°F) and tied with 1998 as the eighth warmest on record. September 2005 is the warmest September on record.
• The September worldwide land surface temperature was 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.0°C (53.6°F)—the ninth warmest September on record.
• The September worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.44°C (0.79°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.2°C (61.1°F) and tied with 1998 and 2008 as the ninth warmest September on record.

• The combined global land and ocean surface temperature for August 2010 was the third warmest on record at 16.2°C (61.2°F), which is 0.60°C (1.08°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.6°C (60.1°F). August 1998 is the warmest August on record and 2009 is the second warmest.
• The August worldwide land surface temperature was 0.90°C (1.62°F) above the 20^th century average of 13.8°C (56.9°F)—the second warmest August on record, behind 1998.
• The worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.50°C (0.90°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.4°C (61.4°F) and tied with 1997 as the sixth warmest August on record.

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for July 2010 was the second warmest on record, behind 1998, at 16.5°C (61.6F), which is 0.66°C (1.19°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.8°C (60.4°F).
• The July worldwide land surface temperature was 1.03°C (1.85°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.3°C (57.8°F)—the warmest July on record.
• The worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.4°C (61.5°F) and the fifth warmest July on record. The warmth was most pronounced in the Atlantic Ocean.
• La Niña conditions developed during July 2010, as sea surface temperatures (SST) continued to drop across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Niña is expected to strengthen and last through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2010-2011.
• For the year-to-date, the global combined land and ocean surface temperature of 14.5°C (58.1°F) was the warmest January-July period on record. This value is 0.68°C (1.22°F) above the 20^th century average.

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June 2010 was the warmest on record at 16.2°C (61.1°F), which is 0.68°C (1.22°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.5°C (59.9°F). The previous record for June was set in 2005.
• June 2010 was the fourth consecutive warmest month on record (March, April, and May 2010 were also the warmest on record). This was the 304^th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average. The last month with below-average temperature was February 1985.
• The June worldwide averaged land surface temperature was 1.07°C (1.93°F) above the 20^th century average of 13.3°C (55.9°F)—the warmest on record.
• Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean continued to decrease during June 2010. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, La Niña conditions are likely to develop during the Northern Hemisphere summer 2010.   

Global Highlights

• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for May 2010 was 0.69°C (1.24°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.8°C (58.6°F). This is the warmest such value on record since 1880.
• For March–May 2010, the combined global land and ocean surface temperature was 14.4°C (58.0°F) — the warmest March-May on record. This value is 0.73°C (1.31°F) above the 20^th century average.
• The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for January–May 2010 was the warmest on record. The year-to-date period was 0.68°C (1.22°F) warmer than the 20^th century average.
• The worldwide ocean surface temperature for May 2010 was the second warmest May on record, behind 1998, 0.55°C (0.99°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.3°C (61.3°F).
• The seasonal (March–May 2010) worldwide ocean surface temperature was the second warmest such period on record, 0.55°C (0.99°F) above the 20^th century average of 16.1°C (61.0°F).
• The global land surface temperatures for May and the March–May period were the warmest on record, at 1.04°C (1.87°F) and 1.22°C (2.20°F) above the 20^th century average, respectively.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, both the May 2010 average temperature for land areas, and the hemisphere as a whole (land and ocean surface combined), represented the warmest May on record. The Northern Hemisphere ocean temperature was the second warmest May on record. The average combined land and ocean surface temperature for the Northern Hemisphere was also record warmest for the March–May period.
• El Niño ended during May 2010. Sea surface temperature anomalies in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean cooled below the El Niño threshold, signifying a return to ENSO-neutral conditions. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, sea surface cooling could result in a La Niña during the Northern Hemisphere summer 2010.

The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for March 2010 was the warmest on record at 13.5°C (56.3°F), which is 0.77°C (1.39°F) above the 20^th century average of 12.7°C (54.9°F). This was also the 34^th consecutive March with global land and ocean temperatures above the 20^th century average.

The March worldwide land surface temperature was 1.36°C (2.45°F) above the 20^th century average of 5.0°C (40.8°F)—the fourth warmest on record.

The worldwide ocean surface temperature was 0.56°C (1.01°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.9°C (60.7°F) and the warmest March on record.

The worldwide ocean surface temperature for February 2010 was the second warmest on record for February, 0.54°C (0.97°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.9°C (60.6°F).

In the Southern Hemisphere, both the February 2010 average temperature for land areas and the Hemisphere as a whole (land and ocean surface combined), represented the warmest February on record. The Southern Hemisphere ocean temperature tied with 1998 as the warmest February on record.