October Temperature Breaks Global Record

October 2015 warmest October on 136-year record globally; year to date also record warm —NOAA

Global October temperature was the highest for the month in the 136-year period of record. The combined average temperature over global land and sea surfaces was 0.98°C (1.76°F) above the 20^th century average of 14.0°C (57.1°F), according to the State of Climate report issued by NOAA.

• October was the sixth consecutive month a monthly global temperature record has been broken and was also the greatest departure from average for any month in the 1,630 months of recordkeeping.

• The October average temperature across global land surfaces was 1.33°C (2.39°F) above the 20^th century average, the highest for October on record. This surpasses the previous record set in October 2011 by 0.17°C (0.31°F).

• October global sea surface temperature was 0.85°C (1.53°F) above the 20^th century average of 15.9°C (60.6°F), the highest departure for October on record. This surpasses the previous record set in 2014 by 0.15°C (0.27°F).

October 2015 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Percentiles

January–October 2015 Blended Land and Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies in degrees Celsius

Record Temperatures (Year to Date)

The first 10 months of 2015 comprised the warmest such period on record across the world’s land and ocean surfaces, at 0.86°C (1.55°F) above the 20^th century average, surpassing the previous record of 2014 by 0.12°C (0.22°F). This margin is larger than the uncertainty associated with the dataset. To date, eight months this year have been record warm for their respective months. January was the second warmest January on record and April third warmest.

The average global sea surface temperature of +0.71°C (+1.28°F) was the highest for January–October in the 136-year period of record, surpassing the previous record of 2014 by 0.08°C (0.14°F). This margin is larger than the uncertainty associated with the dataset. The average land surface temperature departure from average of +1.28°C (+2.30°F) was also the highest on record for October, surpassing the previous record of 2007 by 0.17°C (0.31°F).

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for October 2015, published online November 2015, retrieved on November 19, 2015 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/201510.

 

M4.7 Quake Rattles Cherokee, Oklahoma

Another significant earthquake strikes Oklahoma

Centered at 36.661°N, 98.461°W the quake occurred at a depth of 6.2 km (3.9 mi), reported USGS/EHP.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 4.7Mw
Location: 36.661°N, 98.461°W
Depth: 6.2km (3.9 mi)
Time: 2015-11-19 07:42:12(UTC)
Nearby Cities

• 13km (8mi) SW of Cherokee, Oklahoma
• 59km (37mi) WNW of Enid, Oklahoma
• 86km (53mi) ENE of Woodward, Oklahoma
• 157km (98mi) NNW of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Deadly Storms: State of Emergency Declared In Washington

Killer storms cause major destruction across Washington state

Washington Governor Inslee declared a state of emergency in all counties on Wednesday after a deadly storm packing hurricane-force winds exceeding 160 km/hr (100 mph) left at lease three people dead. The storm triggered flooding and mudslides, killing at least three people, uprooting trees and cutting off power to about 350,000 homes and businesses.

Tuesday’s storm system, the latest in a series of violent storms that have swept across the state, also damaged about 1,200km of overhead power lines, authorities said.

“This is the largest crisis Avista has experienced in the company’s 126-year history,” said Avista Corp. , a major utility that generates and transmits electricity in the region.

“As crews struggled to mop up from the damage, tens of thousands still remained without power in the Puget Sound region and major highways were closed for cleanup. A spokesman for the Snohomish County Public Utilities District (PUD) said the fierce windstorm could be one of the worst recorded, and customers could be impacted into the weekend,” said a report.

The massive storm system also forced road closures in the state of Oregon, as floods mudslides and fallen trees shut down roads including a long stretch of Interstate 84 as well as several other highways, said the state police.

Deadly Wildfires Consume 300,000 Ha in Western Australia

Extreme weather system generating temperatures in excess of 45ºC, fueling deadly, destructive fires in Australia

The fires started during harvest season destroying large volumes of crops, as well as farming equipment, fences and buildings.

At least three Europeans were among those killed by the fires, including “a 19-year-old German woman as an apprentice farm-hand; a 29-year-old Norwegian woman as a cook, while she studied at Curtin University in Perth; and a 31-year-old British man as a mechanic,” reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Fire Weather Warning

Australia Bureau of Meteorology has issued Fire Weather Warnings for several areas in Western Australia, forecasting Severe Fire Danger for the district of South Interior, and Gascoyne Coast.

 

M7.0 Earthquake Strikes Solomon Islands

Powerful quake occurs 118km SW of Dadali, Solomon Islands

Centered at 8.929°S, 158.410°E the quake occurred at a depth of 13.4km (8.3 mi), reported USGS/EHP.

EQ Details

Magnitude: M7.0
Location: 8.929°S 158.410°E depth=13.4 km (8.3 mi)
Time: 2015-11-18 18:31:04 (UTC)
Nearby Cities

• 118km (73mi) SW of Dadali, Solomon Islands
• 178km (111mi) WNW of Honiara, Solomon Islands
• 36km (271mi) SE of Arawa, Papua New Guinea

Tsunami Evaluation

This earthquake did not generate a pacific-wide destructive tsunami.