Climatological Background  During August, monsoon systems which bring rains to West Africa, South Asia, and southwestern North America have reached their northernmost extent.  In the Southern Hemisphere midlatitudes, winter conditions begin to wane by month's end.

Monthly Mean Temperature (1961-1990), data from the Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia

DATA: Univ. of East Anglia

Monthly Mean Precipitation (1961-1990), with data from the Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia

DATA: Univ. of East Anglia

Temperatures Over Land

In general, above average temperatures over the continents continued a trend seen during much of the 1990's.  Regional highlights for August:

Europe:  Temperatures continued well above average across southeastern sections while conditions were closer to average in the north.
Asia:  With the exception of central China and southern India, above average temperatures prevailed across most of the continent.
South America:  Above average temperatures were observed throughout most of Brazil and Paraguay.
North America:  Temperatures were well above average across the south central United States and in  eastern Canada.  Western Canada and Alaska observed unusually cool weather in August.
 
 
 

Temperature Difference from the 1961-1990 mean, with data from NCEP Climate Prediction Center, CAMS.

NOAA NCEP CPC CAMS anomaly temperature anomaly

Precipitation

Africa:  Rainfall for the region was somewhat below average with Niger, western Mali and parts of Senegal receiving unusually light amounts. Unusually heavy rain continued in much of Cameroon.   In east Africa drought conditions persisted in eastern Kenya and southern Ethiopia. 
China, Taiwan and Korea:    Tropical storms resulted in very heavy rainfall in eastern China, Taiwan and South Korea.  More moderate rainfall over much of the North China Plain helped ease drought conditions there. 
Southern and Southeast Asia:  The summer monsoon produced unusually heavy rains in Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan and northern and southeastern India. Below average rainfall was seen in central and western India.
South America:   Regions north of the equator generally had below average precipitation, while unseasonal heavy rains were experienced in northeast and northwest Brazil.
North America:  Unusually dry conditions prevailed across much of the southern and central United States and Mexico.  A band of above average rainfall  extended across all of central Canada.
Europe:  Below average rainfall continued across the southeast.
 

Precipitation Difference from 1961-1990 mean, with data from NCEP Climate Prediction Center, CAMS-OPI.

NOAA NCEP CPC CAMS_OPI v9906 anomaly Precipitation Anomaly (mm/day). Contours 0.5, 2, 4, 6, 8,...

Oceanic Conditions

 Tropics:  Remnants of La Niña (colder than average) conditions continued to weaken in the Pacific. Above average temperatures occurred in the Indian Ocean, western North Pacific and southern Atlantic basins.
Midlatitudes:  Unusually warm water persisted in the northwestern regions of both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

Monthly Sea Surface Temperature Difference from the 1950-1979 mean, with data from the Environmental Modeling Center, NCEP/NOAA.

IGOSS NMC monthly Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly