Assessing the Global Climate in June 2020

The June 2020 globally averaged land and ocean surface temperature departure from average tied with 2015 as the third highest for the month in the 141-year NOAA global temperature dataset record, which dates back to 1880.

This monthly summary, developed by scientists at NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides to government, business, academia and the public to support informed decision-making.

June 2020 Temperature

The June 2020 global land and ocean surface temperature was 1.66°F (0.92°C) above the 20th-century average of 59.9°F (15.5°C), tying with 2015 as the third-highest June temperature in the 141-year record. Only the Junes of 2016 and 2019 were warmer.

• June 2020 marked the 44th consecutive June and the 426th consecutive month with temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.

• Nine of the 10 warmest Junes have occurred since 2010; the seven warmest Junes have occurred in the last seven years (2014-2020). 

• During June 2020, temperature departures of +2.7°F (+1.5°C) or higher were present across the central contiguous U.S., southern Brazil, northern and eastern Europe, northern Russia, southern China and across the north Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the most notable cool temperature departures of −1.8°F (−1.0°C) or cooler were observed across western and southeastern Russia and across parts of India and Greenland.

• South America, Europe and Africa had their third-warmest June since records began in 1910. The Caribbean region’s June 2020 temperature departure tied with 2016 as the  fourth-highest June temperature on record. 

Sea Ice 

Arctic sea ice extent for June 2020 was the third-smallest June extent in the 42-year record at 460,000 square miles (10.1 percent) below the 1981–2010 average, according to analysis by the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) using data from NOAA and NASA. Regionally, the Laptev Sea saw a new record low June sea ice extent.

Antarctic sea ice extent during June 2020 was 5.10 million square miles, which is slightly below the 1981-2010 average. According to the NSIDC, sea ice extent was below average west of Enderby Land and the Bellingshausen Sea. 

January-June 2020

The year-to-date global land and ocean surface temperature was the second highest in the 141-year record at 1.93°F (1.07°C) above the 20th-century average of 56.3°F (13.5°C). This value is only 0.09°F (0.05°C) less than the record set in 2016. 

• The Northern and Southern hemispheres had their second- and third-warmest January-June period since global records began in 1880, respectively.

• South America, Europe, Asia, and the Gulf of Mexico had their warmest January-June period on record. The Caribbean region and Africa had their second- and third-highest January-June temperature departure from average on record, respectively. 

• The first half of the year had warmer-than-average conditions across much of the globe; however, the most notable warm January-June temperature departures were observed across much of central, northern and eastern Europe and northern Asia, where temperatures were 3.6°F (2.0°C) above average or higher. Meanwhile, the most notable cool temperature departures of −1.8°F (−1.0°C) or cooler occurred across Alaska, parts of western Canada and northern India. 

• Record warm January-June temperatures were present across parts of Mexico, Central America, the Gulf of Mexico, South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, Asia and across parts of the Pacific and southern Indian oceans. No land or ocean areas had record cold January-June temperatures.

• According to a statistical analysis done by NCEI scientists, the year 2020 is very likely to rank among the five warmest years on record.

For a more complete summary of climate conditions and events, see our June 2020 Global Climate Report.