Climatological Background In July, heating of the continents in the Northern Hemisphere results in strengthened monsoon systems which bring rains to West Africa, South Asia, and southwestern North America. In the Southern Hemisphere winter has set in with stronger north-south temperature gradients fueling active mid-latitude storm tracks.

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

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

Temperatures Over Land
Africa and the Middle East:   Above average temperatures characterized much of Africa from the equator northeastward through the Middle East. 
Asia:  Above average conditions were also experienced in Central Asia eastward to the Pacific.
Europe: Russia experienced above average temperature while below average temperatures were recorded in the Baltic countries.
South America:  Much colder than average conditions were experienced from southern Bolivia south through much of the Southern Cone east of the Andes.
Central and North America:  Above average temperatures were experienced from Mexico northward into the high plains of the United States and into extreme northern Canada. Relatively cold conditions also covered the northeastern west coast of the United States.
Australia:  Interior sections of the continent experienced warmer than average conditions.
 
 

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

Precipitation
Africa:  Seasonal rains continued in near average fashion across western Africa and into the Sahel with the exception of some dry areas in Senegal and Mali.
Australia:  Below to slightly below average rainfall was recorded across much of eastern Australia.
China, Korea and Japan:    Most of China, Korea, and Japan remained drier than average. Above average rains fell along southeastern coastal sections of China and in the northern interior.
Philippines:  Above average rainfall associated with tropical storms was recorded in the northern islands.
Southern and Southeast Asia:  Southern India eastward through Bangladesh and into eastern Thailand experienced below average monsoon rainfall in July.  Above average summer monsoon rainfall developed in northwestern India.
South America:   Above average rainfall was recorded along the North Atlantic coast and into the west central Amazon southward into Bolivia. Average to above average rains returned to southern Brazil.
North and Central America:  Dry conditions prevailed from Guatemala and Mexico northward through the south-central United States.
Europe:  Precipitation was above average across Europe from France eastward into Russia.

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

Oceanic Conditions
 Tropics: La Niña (colder than average) conditions continue to wane in the Pacific. The Indian Ocean experienced well above average temperature as did the South Atlantic along the African coast.

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