On August 12, 2024, coincident with the release of the July 2024 global climate report, NCEI began implementing a compressed global report release schedule. Enhancements to the NOAAGlobalTemp dataset implemented earlier in the year provide stability in the global temperature anomaly value earlier in the following month than was seen with previous versions of this dataset. Please see NCEI's Monthly Release Schedule for updated release dates through the end of 2024.

Temperature

In January 2024, the NOAA Global Surface Temperature (NOAAGlobalTemp) dataset version 6.0.0 replaced version 5.1.0. This new version incorporates an artificial neural network (ANN) method to improve the spatial interpolation of monthly land surface air temperatures. The period of record (1850-present) and complete global coverage remain the same as in the previous version of NOAAGlobalTemp. While anomalies and ranks might differ slightly from what was reported previously, the main conclusions regarding global changes in climate are very similar to the previous version. Please see our Commonly Asked Questions Document and web story for additional information.

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information calculates the global temperature anomaly every month based on preliminary data generated from authoritative datasets of temperature observations from around the globe. The major dataset, NOAAGlobalTemp version 6.0.0, updated in 2024, uses comprehensive data collections of increased global area coverage over both land and ocean surfaces. NOAAGlobalTempv6.0.0 is a reconstructed dataset, meaning that the entire period of record is recalculated each month with new data. Based on those new calculations, the new historical data can bring about updates to previously reported values. These factors, together, mean that calculations from the past may be superseded by the most recent data and can affect the numbers reported in the monthly climate reports. The most current reconstruction analysis is always considered the most representative and precise of the climate system, and it is publicly available through Climate at a Glance.

October 2024

October 2024 was the second warmest October on record for the globe in NOAA's 175-year record. The October global surface temperature was 1.32°C (2.38°F) above the 20th-century average of 14.0°C (57.2°F). This is 0.05°C (0.09°F) less than the record warm October of 2023. October 2024 marked the 48th consecutive October with global temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th-century average.

The global land-only October temperature was the warmest on record at 2.18°C (3.92°F) above average, 0.03°C (0.05°F) warmer than the previous record set in 2023. The ocean-only temperature was second-warmest at 0.94°C (1.69°F) above average. These temperatures occurred under ENSO-neutral conditions. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center's October ENSO Diagnostic Discussion, ENSO-neutral is expected to continue for the next several months, with La Niña favored to emerge during September-November (66% chance) and persist through the Northern Hemisphere winter 2024-25 (74% chance during November-January). The next ENSO Diagnostic Discussion will be issued on Thursday, November 14.

Record-warm temperatures covered much of the Arctic in October as well as large parts of the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico. Areas of record warmth also occurred in India and Pakistan, small parts of Africa, and South America. October temperatures were much warmer than average across most of the remainder of South America, much of the central and northeastern U.S., parts of North Africa, large areas of Europe, the southern half of Asia, and much of Australia and western Antarctica. Temperature anomalies were greater than 4°C (7.2°F) above average in large parts of the Arctic and 3.0°C (5.4°F) or more above average in the central U.S. During October 2024, 12.2% of the world's surface had a record-high October temperature, exceeding the previous October record of 2015 by 3.8%. Close to 5.3% of the global land surface had a record-high October temperature. Meanwhile, only 0.04% of the global land and ocean surface experienced a record-cold October temperature.

Areas with cooler-than-average October temperatures included the southern half of Greenland where temperatures more than -2.0°C (-3.6°F) below average were widespread. Other areas with cooler-than-average temperatures included parts of western Canada and eastern Alaska, areas in central and southern Africa, central and northern Asia, parts of southwest Asia, and areas of eastern Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula.

Over the global oceans record-warm October temperatures continued to be widespread. They were most notable in the Caribbean, parts of the eastern Indian Ocean, the northwestern Pacific and parts of the Southern Ocean. Across the global ocean, 15.5% of its surface had a record-high temperature for the month. Only 0.06% of the global ocean was record cold in October. Widespread areas of near-average to below-average October sea surface temperatures occurred in the eastern equatorial Pacific, the southeastern Pacific, the Gulf of Alaska, the Bering Sea, and small parts of the southern Indian Ocean.

In the Northern Hemisphere, October 2024 was second warmest on record at 1.73°C (3.11°F) above average. This is 0.17°C (0.31°F) cooler than October 2023. The Northern Hemisphere land temperature and ocean temperature also individually ranked second warmest on record for the month. The Southern Hemisphere was record-warm for October at 0.91°C (1.64°F) above average. The Southern Hemisphere land temperature and ocean temperature for October were both individually second warmest on record.

October 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

October 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

A smoothed map of blended land and sea surface temperature anomalies is also available.

South America had its second-warmest October while Africa had its tenth-warmest October and Europe its fourth-warmest October on record.

• In Germany, October 2024 was 1.7°C (3.1°F) above the 1991–2020 average, making it the 12th warmest October since the national record began in 1881.
• In Austria, October 2024 was 2.0°C (3.6°F) above the 1991–2020 average in the lowlands of Austria, the 11th warmest October in the 258-year record, and 2.2°C (4.0°F) above average in the summit regions, the eighth-warmest October in the 174-year mountain measurement series.
• In the United Kingdom, October was 0.7°C (1.3°F) above the long-term average, based on provisional data from the UK Met Office.
• In Sweden, October was generally 1-2°C warmer than the 1991–2020 average throughout the country.
• In Norway, the national temperature was 1.7°C (3.1°F) above normal, making it the 14th warmest October in the national series of measurements that started in 1901.
• In Iceland, October 2024 was cooler than average across the country. The average temperature in Reykjavík was 1.5°C (2.7°F) below the 1991–2020 average, while in Akureyri, October was 2.7°C (4.9°F) below average, the coldest October since 1981.

Asia had its fifth-warmest October, 1.85°C (3.33°F) above average, and Oceania had its second-warmest October on record, 1.97°C (3.55°F) above average.

• Pakistan had its warmest October on record in 2024, 2.48°C (4.46°F) above average.
• According to the India Meteorological Department, India had its warmest October on record, 1.23°C (2.21°F) above average.
• According to the Hong Kong Observatory, October 2024 had a monthly mean temperature which was 1.6°C (2.9°F) above normal, giving Hong Kong its warmest October on record.
• New Zealand's nationwide average temperature for October 2024 was 0.8°C (1.4°F) above the 1991–2020 average, making it New Zealand’s 16th-warmest October since the national series began in 1909.
• In Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) reported that the Australia mean temperature for October was 2.51°C (4.52°F) above the 1961–1990 average, the second-highest for October since 1910.

North America had its warmest October at 2.54°C (4.57°F) above average.

• The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in October 2024 was 2.71°C (4.88°F) above average, ranking second warmest in the 130-year record.
• The Caribbean region had its warmest October on record, 1.70°C (3.06°F) above average, 0.01°C (0.02°F) warmer than October 2023.

500 mb maps

In the atmosphere, 500-millibar height pressure anomalies correlate well with temperatures at the Earth's surface. The average position of the upper-level ridges of high pressure and troughs of low pressure—depicted by positive and negative 500-millibar height anomalies on the map—is generally reflected by areas of positive and negative temperature anomalies at the surface, respectively.

Year-to-date Temperature: January–October 2024

The January–October global surface temperature ranked warmest in the 175-year record at 1.28°C (2.30°F) above the 1901-2000 average of 14.1°C (57.4°F). According to NCEI's statistical analysis, it is practically certain that 2024 will rank as the warmest year on record.

For the January–October year-to-date period, record-warm temperatures occurred in much of an area stretching from the northern two-thirds of South America through Central America and much of Mexico. Record-warm year-to-date temperatures also occurred in the northeast U.S. and parts of eastern Canada as well as much of the Canadian Archipelago into parts of the western Arctic. Year-to-date temperature anomalies were greater than 2°C (3.6°F) above average in many of these areas.

Elsewhere record warmth was observed throughout large parts of Africa as well as southern and eastern Europe, much of China, South Korea and Japan, southeast Asia, and small parts of western Australia. Temperatures were much warmer than average throughout the remainder of the contiguous U.S., most of central and western Canada, much of Argentina, areas of Africa and Europe that were not record warm, and much of Russia and Australia. Above-average and much-above-average year-to-date temperatures occurred across most of Antarctica with the exception of a small area in the eastern part of the continent that was near average to much cooler than average.

There were only a small number of other land areas with near-average to below-average January-October temperatures. These included southeastern Greenland and Iceland, parts of Alaska, the southern tip of South America, the Russian Far East and a small part of the Northern Territory of Australia.

Over the global oceans, the first ten months of the year had record-warm sea surface temperatures that covered much of the tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic, most of the northern half of the Indian Ocean, the western equatorial Pacific and parts of the northwestern Pacific, as well as small areas in the southern Atlantic, southern Pacific, and southern Indian oceans. By contrast, the only areas of the global ocean with near-average to below-average January-October temperatures were in the southeastern Pacific and southwestern Atlantic extending to western parts of the Southern Ocean, the southwestern Indian Ocean extending to the Southern Ocean, parts of the Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk, and a small area of the North Atlantic.

January–October 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

January–October 2024 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

A smoothed map of blended land and sea surface temperature anomalies is also available.

North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Oceania each had their warmest January–October year-to-date periods on record, while Asia had its second-warmest year-to-date period. Europe and Africa exceeded their previous record-warm January-October periods by 0.43°C (0.77°F) and 0.35°C (0.63°F), respectively. Overall, the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere had their warmest January–Octobers on record, 0.18°C (0.32°F), and 0.09°C (0.16°F), respectively above the previous records set in 2023.

• The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. for the January–October 2024 period was the second warmest on record, slightly below (0.04°C, 0.08°F) the record-warm year-to-date period of 2012.
• The Caribbean region and the Main Development Region for Atlantic Hurricanes had their warmest January–October year-to-date periods, 0.34°C (0.61°F) and 0.38°C (0.68°F) above the previous record-warm such periods, respectively.

Precipitation

The maps shown below represent precipitation percent of normal (left, using a base period of 1961–1990) and precipitation percentiles (right, using the period of record) based on the GHCN dataset of land surface stations.

October 2024

October 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Anomalies

October 2024 Land-Only Precipitation Percent of Normal

Precipitation data from the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) shown in the maps above are now augmented by data with greater spatial coverage from the Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). The GHCN and GPCP map of October precipitation anomalies show large expanses of drier than normal conditions across much of the U.S. stretching into Mexico and parts of Central America. A persistence of drier-than-normal conditions has resulted in 54% of the contiguous U.S. in moderate to extreme drought. Other areas of expansive drier-than-normal October conditions include the eastern Mediterranean, parts of eastern Europe through western Russia and Siberia, southeastern China, southern Africa, and a large part of Australia. Drier-than-average conditions also were present across much of South America, where months of below-average rainfall combined with persistent record and near-record temperatures has led to severe drought across large parts of the continent. In contrast, anomalously wet conditions occurred in areas that included western and central Africa, parts of northwestern China and Kazahkstan through the Russian Far East, southwestern Europe, and parts of the U.S. Southwest and Florida.

Some of the largest positive monthly anomalies were in areas affected by severe tropical and extra-tropical storms.

• In the U.S., on the Florida peninsula, October precipitation was well above average, in large part due to Hurricane Milton which made landfall as a major hurricane on the west coast of Florida as a Category 3 storm, causing catastrophic damage due to high winds, heavy rainfall, and significant storm surge.


• On the Iberian Peninsula, monthly anomalies greater than 150% of average were widespread. According to Spain's State Meteorological Agency the average precipitation over mainland Spain for October was 147 mm (5.8 in.), which is 189% of the 1991—2020 average value for the month, and close to twice the normal amount for the month. It was the wettest October in the series since 1961, ahead of 1979 and 2003, the previous two rainiest months on record. The record wet October conditions in southern and eastern Spain are also evident on the GPCP rank map.
  • The record monthly rainfall was due in large part to an extraordinary and catastrophic storm that occurred on October 29 when very intense rainfall affected the Mediterranean area. It was caused by the presence of a low pressure area located over the Strait of Gibraltar that favored the organization of precipitation systems that stalled over the provinces of Valencia, Cuenca, Albacete and Murcia. In a matter of hours extraordinary amounts of rain fell, causing streams and rivers to overflow their banks and resulting in catastrophic flooding that resulted in reports of more than 200 deaths, primarily in the region of Valencia. Rainfall amounts for October 29 from Spain's Meteorological Agency from several reporting stations in the region are shown in the table below. In many locations the amount of rain that fell in a single day was approximately one third to one half the amount of rain that typically falls in an entire year, and in Turis, the daily total far exceeded that amount.



Rainfall Amounts, 29 October 2024

Location	Province	Precipitation [mm (in.)]
Turis	Valencia	771 (30.4)
Utiel, La Cubera	Valencia	243 (9.6)
Carcaixent	Valencia	140 (5.5)
Barx	Valencia	119 (4.7)
Alora, Las pelonas	Malaga	167 (6.6)
Antequera-Bobadilla	Malaga	106 (4.2)
Dolar	Granada	156 (6.1)
Guadix	Granada	96 (3.8)
Caravaca, Fuentes del Marques	Murcia	153 (6.0)
Mira	Cuenca	174 (6.9)
Salvacanete	Cuenca	83 (3.3)



• In the western Pacific, October precipitation was well above average in Taiwan and eastern China, which were affected by Typhoon Kong-Rey which crossed the island of Taiwan before moving north and northeastward along the eastern coast of China as it interacted with a strong frontal system.


• In the Philippines, heavy rain, flooding and landslides associated with Tropical Storm Trami led to mass evacuations, damaged infrastructure and reports of more than 125 deaths. The Philippines were impacted further by Typhoon Kong-Rey a few days later as it moved to the north of the islands.

Other October precipitation summaries provided by national meteorological services include the following.

• According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, October's national area-weighted rainfall was 15.0mm (0.6 in.), which was 8% below average.


• According to the UK Met Office, October 2024 precipitation was 84% of average. The month had a mix of settled conditions as well as wet and windy weather from a succession of low-pressure systems, including the first named storm of the 2024/25 season. On the 20th, Storm Ashley brought heavy rain and strong winds to Northern Ireland, Scotland, and northern parts of England and Wales.


• In Germany, the average monthly rainfall was 59.8 mm which is 5.5% less than the 1991–2020 average, making October 2024 the 68th wettest since 1881.


• In Austria precipitation for October 2024 was 10% above average although there were regional differences. A Mediterranean low brought a lot of precipitation to the south of Austria in the first half of October. In the north, however, it was much drier than average, especially in most of Innviertel, Muhlviertel and Waldviertel, where the month's precipitation was around 25 to 50% less than average for the month.


• According to the Australia Bureau of Meteorology, the national area-averaged October rainfall total was 18.4% below the 1961–1990 average. Rainfall was generally above average for Western Australia and below average for all other states and territories.

Drought in October

Drought information is based on global drought indicators available at the Global Drought Information System website, and media reports summarized by the National Drought Mitigation Center.

October Overview:

GDIS global indicators revealed beneficial precipitation fell across parts of drought-plagued South America and Africa, as well as much of Europe and Asia, during October 2024, while other parts of those continents and Australia, as well as much of North America, were dry.


• South America had the second driest October on record and North America the 12^th driest, continent-wide (based on the 1940-2024 ECMWF ERA5 Reanalysis dataset).
• Relentless heat continued, with October 2024 ranking as the warmest October on record for North America and the Caribbean Islands, second warmest for South America, third warmest for Central America and Australia, and fourth warmest for Europe and the Mediterranean, based on 1910-2024 NOAA/NCEI data and ECMWF ERA5 Reanalysis data. The excessive heat increased evapotranspiration which exacerbated the drought conditions.
• A significant portion of the world’s agricultural lands was still suffering from low soil moisture and groundwater levels — especially in the Americas, Africa, eastern Europe, and parts of Asia — and satellite observations showed stressed vegetation on most continents.
  • The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor indicated that agriculture was most threatened in parts of the Americas, Africa, Europe, southwest Russia, and southern Australia. The Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNet) revealed significant food insecurity continuing in parts of Central and South America, Southwest Asia, and much of Africa.
• The BBC reported that, according to an analysis by the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, the area of land surface affected by extreme drought has tripled since the 1980s. Forty-eight per cent of the Earth’s land surface had at least one month of extreme drought last year, which is up from an average of 15% during the 1980s. The Associated Press reported that, according to the United Nations’ World Food Program, months of drought in southern Africa triggered by the El Niño weather phenomenon have had a devastating impact on more than 27 million people (in Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and caused the region’s worst hunger crisis in decades. The World Food Program warned it could become a “full-scale human catastrophe.”
• The WMO hosted a conference (Drought Resilience +10 Conference) in late September and early October that brought together about 1,000 experts, policymakers, and practitioners in the international drought community to address the escalating threat of drought and water scarcity worldwide. The conference encouraged all governments and other relevant stakeholders around the world to manage drought risks in an integrated, proactive, and prospective manner, instead of the current reactive crisis-oriented approach. This will increase drought resilience, reduce the economic costs of drought, and enable societies to better respond to and recover from drought.

Europe:

• Virtually all of Europe was warmer than normal in October, with the month ranking as the fourth warmest October in the 1910-2024 NOAA/NCEI temperature record, continent-wide.
  • Western and northern parts of Europe were wetter than normal while eastern parts were near to drier than normal. Continent-wide, Europe had the 26^th wettest October in the 1940-2024 ECMWF ERA5 Reanalysis precipitation record.
  • The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) maps show dry conditions in eastern and southern Europe at longer time scales (6 to 12 months). Dryness in the Mediterranean region is evident on 24- to 72-month SPI maps.
    • The Mediterranean region had the fourth warmest and 38^th driest October, but the hottest and 18^th driest November-October (last 12 months), based on ECMWF ERA5 data.
  • Satellite observations (GRACE) indicated depleted soil moisture continued across the eastern half of Europe, as well as along the Mediterranean coast and in Scandinavia. GRACE data also indicated depleted groundwater in these areas, except a little more widespread. Satellite observations of vegetative health (Vegetative Health Index, VHI) revealed somewhat stressed vegetation expanding across the continent, but mostly in the north and east.
  • The European Combined Drought Indicator showed drought warnings or alerts across much of eastern Europe extending into European Russia, and the Mediterranean coastal area, with 15.4% of the EU-27 territory plus the U.K. in Warning conditions and 2.0% in Alert conditions. These values are less than last month.

Asia:

• The October SPI maps showed parts of Asia unusually dry but large parts quite wet. The dry areas included parts of western and northern Russia, the Middle East and Turkey, and parts of India to the Amur River region.
  • Most of Asia was unusually warm. Continent-wide, October 2024 ranked as the fifth warmest and 13^th wettest October, according to NOAA/NCEI and ECMWF ERA5 records, respectively.
  • Drought conditions were confirmed over northern, eastern, and southwestern parts of India on the India Drought Monitor, covering about 15.1% of the nation at the end of October, which is less than last month.

Africa:

• Southern and parts of northern, eastern, and coastal western parts of Africa, as well as Madagascar, were dry during October. Monthly temperatures were warmer than normal across most of the continent.
  • October 2024 was the tenth warmest and 25^th driest October in the NOAA/NCEI and ECMWF ERA5 records, respectively.
  • The SPI maps show more intense and widespread dryness at longer time scales, especially in southern, western coastal, and northern areas, at 3- to 12-month time scales. The driest areas on the SPI maps were southern Africa (especially at the 6- to 12-month time scales) and northwestern Africa, especially the Maghreb region; dryness in these areas extended out over the last 6 years. In northwestern Africa, the dryness at 9- to 60-month time scales was more intense for the longer time scales.
  • Record heat characterized each of the 7 time periods from May-October through November-October, continent-wide. The persistent heat increased evapotranspiration and made drought conditions more intense and widespread, with some SPEI maps showing almost all of the continent having some degree of drought for most time scales longer than 3 months.
  • Models and satellite (GRACE) observations revealed persistent low soil moisture and groundwater in the Maghreb and adjacent northern regions, and over much of central to southern Africa. Satellite observations of vegetative health (VHI) revealed stressed vegetation over southern, northern, and coastal eastern parts of the continent, with the most severe conditions in the north and south.
  • An analysis by the African Flood and Drought Monitor estimated 27% of the continent in drought at the end of October, which was a little less than last month, and included 7 countries in drought.

Australia

• Southern, central, and some eastern parts of Australia were drier than average during October, while temperatures were warmer than average across most of the continent.
  • According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Australia had the second warmest October in the 1910-2024 record; the continent had the 42^nd driest October based on 1940-2024 ECMWF ERA5 precipitation data.
  • The SPI maps show dryness in these areas extending over the last 1-3 months, dryness in coastal parts of southern, northwestern, and northeastern Australia at 6-12 months, dry conditions across the southern coast and in the west, central, and northeastern areas at 12-24 months, and dryness persisting along the southern and southwestern coasts and in Tasmania at longer time periods.
  • Dry soils were evident in southern, central, and western parts of Australia, according to GRACE soil moisture data. The GRACE data showed low groundwater in parts of central and western Australia. Satellite observations (VHI) revealed stressed vegetation across western, central, southern, and northeastern areas.

South America

• Southern, northwestern, and some eastern parts of South America were drier than average in October, while northern Argentina to southern Bolivia and parts of Brazil were wetter than average. Virtually the entire continent was much warmer than average.
  • October 2024 ranked as the second driest and second warmest October, continent-wide, according to ECMWF ERA5 and NOAA/NCEI data, respectively.
  • SPI maps showed a similar precipitation anomaly pattern at the 2- to 12-month time scales. The continent had the warmest February-October through November-October (all 4 time periods) as well as the driest November-October (last 12 months).
• At 2- to 6-year time scales, the SPI maps show areas of dryness in the north, central, and southern parts of South America, with wet or near-average areas separating the dry areas. The persistently hot temperatures increased evapotranspiration which exacerbated drought conditions.
  • When the effects of low precipitation and high temperatures are combined, the SPEI maps show much more intense and widespread drought, especially over the northern half of the continent, with most of South America having some degree of drought at the longer time scales (24-48 months).
• Satellite observations (GRACE) show low groundwater across most of the continent and dry soils over most areas except the west coast and parts of southeast Brazil and Uruguay. Satellite analysis (VHI) revealed poor vegetative health from Peru and Brazil southward into Argentina and Chile.
• Drought was confirmed across most of Brazil on the Brazilian Drought Monitor (National Water Agency map, CEMADEN map), in Chile and Argentina on the Southern South America Drought Information System (SISSA) maps, and in western South America countries on the CIIFEN Western South America Regional Drought Monitor.
  • The SISSA 3-month drought index indicated 46.6% of Chile and Argentina was in drought or abnormally dry at the end of October, which is less than last month; the 6-month drought index had 60.9% of the region in drought or abnormally dry, which is more than last month; and the 12-month drought index had 51.9% of the region in drought or abnormally dry, which is a little less than last month.
  • CEMADEN (National Center for Monitoring and Warning of Natural Disasters) statistics indicated that, in Brazil, 500 municipalities had at least 80% of their agro-productive areas (agricultural activities and/or pastures) impacted by drought in October; last month it was 980 municipalities. The CEMADEN report noted that, “Although lower than the number observed in September, the situation is still worrying, especially for pastures. The intensity and duration of the drought can compromise the quality of pastures, which can affect livestock farming in these regions.” In October, 41 indigenous lands were classified as experiencing extreme drought (a decrease compared to September) and another 114 as experiencing severe drought (also a decrease compared to September).
• According to media reports (Reuters), the current drought is the most intense and widespread Brazil has experienced since records began in 1950, based on an analysis by the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters.
  • The NASA Earth Observatory noted that rivers in the Amazon basin fell to record-low levels in October 2024 as drought gripped vast areas of South America. Months of diminished rains have amplified fires, parched crops, disrupted transportation networks, and interrupted hydroelectric power generation in parts of Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
  • Eos reported on a study published in the journal, Communications Earth & Environment, which shows that dry, warm, and flammable conditions have skyrocketed across South America, favoring the spread of uncontrolled fire.

North America

• In North America, the SPI showed October as drier than average across the eastern third of the contiguous United States (CONUS) to the northern half of Mexico, and from the north central United States (U.S.) to central Canada.
  • October temperatures were warmer than average across much of the continent, with near-average monthly temperatures in western Canada to Alaska.
    • NOAA/NCEI data ranked October 2024 as the warmest October on record, continent-wide, and ECMWF ERA5 data gave a rank of 12^th driest.
  • Unusual warmth characterized most of the last 12 months, with the periods October through June-October, and April-October through November-October (all 11 time periods) ranking warmest on record.
  • It was particularly dry during the last 2 to 6 months across northern Mexico and much of the CONUS and Canada, the last 9 months in northwest Mexico and northwest and eastern Canada, and the last 12 to 72 months over northwest Mexico, most of Canada, and parts of Central America. In the U.S., dry conditions were evident from the Ohio Valley to southern Plains and Gulf of Mexico Coast at 12 to 36 months, across the central to southern Plains at 24 to 60 months, and in the West at 60 to 72 months.
  • The unusual warmth/evapotranspiration is reflected on the SPEI maps by more intense and expansive drought, especially at the longer time scales — virtually all of Canada and Mexico, and parts of Central America, have some degree of drought at 12 to 48 months, with severe drought across large parts of the U.S. southern Plains at 12 to 36 months and southern Plains to western CONUS at 12 and 48 months.
  • Satellite (GRACE) observations revealed extensive areas of low groundwater across much of western and eastern Canada and parts of central Canada, the southern Plains of the U.S., the Mid-Mississippi Valley to central Appalachians in the U.S., from the Mid-Atlantic coast to northeast U.S., across much of northern Mexico, and parts of Central America. GRACE observations of soil moisture indicated dry soils across those same areas in Canada, Mexico, and Central America, plus most of the CONUS. Satellite analysis (VHI) indicated poor vegetative health across northern Mexico to much of the CONUS and Canada.
  • Temperatures have been especially warm in the Caribbean, with October and September-October through November-October (all 12 time periods) ranking warmest in the NOAA/NCEI record.

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