February 2023 was the fourth warmest February in the world according to NOAA's 174-year measurements. The global surface temperature in February was 0.97 degrees above the 20th century average of 12.1 degrees.
In theNorthern Hemisphere, February 2023 ranked as the fourth warmest on record at 1.30 degrees above average. Land temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere alone ranked as the fifth warmest on record, while ocean temperatures tied 2010 as the eighth warmest for February.
Fig. 1; Source: NOAA
Ocean temperatures in theSouthern Hemisphere were the fifth warmest on record, while land temperatures matched 2010 as the eighth warmest for February.while land temperatures ranked as the 20th warmest (tied with 1973, 2004, and 2013) for the month. The global surface temperature in the Southern Hemisphere this month was the eighth warmest on record.
Fig. 2; Source: NOAA
Asia's record
Asia had its seventh warmest February on record at 3.05 degrees above average.
According to the Hong Kong Observatory, February 2023 in Hong Kong was the seventh warmest on record at 1.8 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.
In Japan, this February was 0.59 degrees above average.
The February 2023 national average monthly temperature for Pakistan was 3.55 degrees warmer than average. This is the second warmest February on record (since 1961).
Very mild in Europe
February in France was 0.7 degrees above the 1991-2020 normal.
The UK had its fifth warmest February on record at 1.7 degrees above the 1991-2020 average.
Spain had an average February temperature 0.4 degrees below the 1991-2020 average.
The Netherlands had a February temperature 1.8 degrees above average.
In Ireland this month, all stations recorded average air temperatures above their averages for the month.
Norway recorded its eighth warmest February on record.
February 2023 in Denmark ended with a national average temperature 2.2 degrees above the 1991-2020 climate normal.
The average air temperature in Latvia in February was 2.3 degrees above the monthly normal. A maximum air temperature of +8.3 degrees was observed on February 14 in Rucava, which set a new record for maximum air temperature on February 14 in Latvia.
In Estonia , the average air temperature in February was 2.5 degrees above normal.
And elsewhere
Australia recorded a national average temperature of 0.41 degrees above the 1961-1990 average in February.
February in New Zealand was 1.1 degrees warmer than the 1991-2020 average.
The average temperature in the contiguous United States in February 2023 was 1.6 degrees above average, ranking in the warmest third of February.
Anomalies at 500 hPa
In the atmosphere, 500-millibar height pressure anomalies correlate well with temperatures at the Earth's surface. The average position of high pressure peaks and upper level low pressure troughs - represented by positive and negative 500 millibar height anomalies on thegative 500-millibar height anomalies on the map - is generally reflected by areas of positive and negative surface temperature anomalies, respectively.
Fig. 3; Source: NOAA
Global winter record
The global surface temperature from December 2022 to February 2023 was 0.90 degrees above the 20th century average of 12.1 degrees. This is the fifth warmest December-February period (tied with 2018 and 2022) in the past 174 years. The last nine December-February periods have ranked among the ten warmest on record.
