17 December, 2009
Japan Meteorological Agency
Monthly Highlights on Climate System (November 2009)
Highlights in November 2009
- Cloudy or rainy weather prevailed all over Japan, mainly due to frequent passage of migratory lows.
- Monthly mean temperatures were extremely low around China due to developed Siberian high.
- The blocking high was observed over the Barents Sea throughout the month.
- In the first half of the month, convective activities were enhanced over the Indian Ocean in
association with the slow and clear eastward propagation of the active phase of the Madden-Julian
Oscillation.
- SST anomalies were near normal in the central equatorial Pacific. Positive SST anomalies were
found in the western and eastern equatorial Pacific.
Climate in Japan (Fig. 1):
Temperature fluctuations were significant nationwide
mainly due to short-term cold air outbreaks. Monthly
precipitation amounts were above normal and monthly
sunshine durations were below normal almost all over
Japan, due to frequent passage of migratory lows.
World Climate (Figs. 2 and 3):
The monthly anomaly of the global average surface
temperature in November 2009 (i.e. the average of the
near-surface air temperature over land and the SST) was
+0.37 °C (5th highest since 1891) (Fig.2). On a longer time
scale, global average surface temperatures have been rising
at a rate of about 0.67°C per century.
- Monthly mean temperatures were extremely low around
China due to developed Siberian high (Fig.3).
- Monthly precipitation amounts were extremely heavy and
monthly mean temperatures are extremely high around
western Europe due to frequent passage of low pressure
systems and accompanying warm southerly winds
respectively.
- Monthly mean temperatures were extremely high in
southeastern Australia due to warm northerly winds.
Extratropics (Figs. 4 and 5):
In the 500-hPa height field (Fig. 4), the blocking high
was observed over the Barents Sea and extremely high
temperature anomalies at 850 hPa were observed there. In
association with the blocking high, a cold high pressure
system well known as Siberian High, developed from
Siberia to East Asia and caused low temperature anomalies
from early to mid-November. On the other hand, the wave
trains were observed from the North Pacific to North
America. Extremely high temperature anomalies were
observed over the eastern Canada where the ridge was
formed. In the 200-hPa wind field (Fig. 5), the jet stream
shifted northward from its normal position from near Japan
to the Date Line. High frequency disturbances in the storm
track regions were inactive compared to their normal near
the Date Line over the North Pacific and shifted
south-eastward over the North Atlantic.
Tropics (Figs. 6, 7 and 8):
The active phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation
(MJO) clearly propagated from the Indian Ocean to the
Pacific (Fig. 7). In particular, the amplitude of the MJO
became large and convective activities were enhanced over
the Indian Ocean in the first half of the month (Fig. 6). In
the second half, the MJO propagate from around Indonesia
to the Pacific, and convective activities were enhanced in
the western Pacific. On the contrary, they were suppressed
from South America to the Atlantic and Africa. In the lower
troposphere, in association with the clear eastward
propagation of the MJO, easterly wind anomalies were
observed from the eastern Indian Ocean to the western
Pacific in the first half of the month (Fig. 7), and then
westerly anomalies became dominant over the Pacific in
the second half. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was
-0.5.
Oceanographic Conditions (Figs. 9 and 10):
Positive SST anomalies were found over the whole
equatorial Pacific and they were above 1°C in the eastern
part (Fig. 9).
In the North Pacific, positive SST anomalies were found
in the tropical region, from the south of Japan to 40°N,
170°E, and off the west coast of North America. Negative
SST anomalies were found in the Sea of Japan, around and
south of the Aleutian Islands. In the South Pacific, positive
SST anomalies were found in the western tropical region
and from 20°S, 120°W to 30°S, 80°W.
In the Indian Ocean, positive SST anomalies were found
from the eastern equatorial region to the north-west of
Australia and from the western equatorial region to the
Arabian Sea.
To the north of 10°N in the Atlantic, negative SST
anomalies were found around 50°N, 30°W and positive
SST anomalies dominated in the rest. Negative SST
anomalies were found in the central equatorial region.
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17 December, 2009
Japan Meteorological Agency
Fig. 1 Monthly climate anomaly / ratio over Japan
(November 2009)
Top: temperature anomalies (degree C)
Middle: Precipitation ratio (%)
Bottom: Sunshine duration ratio (%)
Anomalies are defined as the deviations from
the normal (1971-2000 average).
Temperature Anomaly （℃）
+1.0
Fig. 2 Long-term change in monthly mean
surface temperature anomalies in
+0.5
November over the globe
The bars indicate anomalies of surface
0.0
temperature in each year. The blue line
indicates 5-year running mean, and the
red line indicates a long-term linear trend.
-0.5
Anomalies are deviations from the normal
CPD/JMA
-1.0
1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
(1971-2000 average).
Fig. 3 Distribution of extreme climate events (November 2009)
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17 December, 2009
Fig. 4 Monthly mean 500-hPa height and anomaly in
the Northern Hemisphere (November 2009)
Contours show heights at an interval of 60 m.
Shaded patterns show height anomalies. Base
period for the normal is 1979-2004.
Japan Meteorological Agency
Fig. 5 Monthly mean 200-hPa wind speed and vectors in
the Northern Hemisphere (November 2009)
Black lines show wind speeds at an interval of 20 m/s.
Blue shading shows values greater than 40 m/s. Green
lines show normal wind speeds at an interval of 20 m/s.
Base period for the normal is 1979-2004.
Fig. 6 Monthly mean Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) anomaly (November 2009)
Contour interval is 10 W/m2. Base period for the normal is 1979-2004. Original data are provided by courtesy
of CDC/NOAA.
Fig. 7 Time-Longitude cross section (5°N-5°S) of 5-day mean 200-hPa velocity potential anomaly (left) and
850-hPa zonal wind anomaly (right) (June – November 2009)
Contour interval is 2x106 m2/s (left) and 2 m/s (right). Base period for the normal is 1979-2004.
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17 December, 2009
Japan Meteorological Agency
Fig. 8 Monthly mean 200-hPa stream function and anomaly (November 2009)
Contour interval is 10x106m2/s. Base period for the normal is 1979-2004.
Fig. 9 Monthly mean sea surface temperature anomaly (November 2009)
Contour interval is 0.5 degree C. Base period for the normal is 1971-2000. Maximum coverage with sea ice
is shaded in gray.
Fig. 10 Time series of monthly mean SST departure (degree C) from the reference value defined as the
immediate past 30-year mean SST, averaged over the NINO.3 region (upper). Time series of the
Southern Oscillation Index with respect to the 1971-2000 base period (lower).
Thin blue lines represent monthly means, and thick blue lines 5-month running means. Periods of El Niño
and La Niña events are shown as red-colored and blue-colored boxes, respectively.
Detailed information on the climate system is available on the Tokyo Climate Center’s website
(http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/index.html)
This report is prepared by the Climate Prediction Division, Global Environment and Marine Department,
Japan Meteorological Agency.
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17 December, 2009
Japan Meteorological Agency
Seasonal Highlights (September – November 2009)
- Seasonal mean temperatures were above normal in Western Japan and Okinawa/Amami.
Seasonal precipitation amounts were below normal on the Sea of Japan side of Northern and
Eastern Japan, while they were above normal in Okinawa/Amami. Seasonal sunshine durations
were significant above normal on the Sea of Japan side of Eastern Japan (Fig. S1).
- High temperatures were observed from southeastern Asia to Europe (Fig. S2).
- The wave trains were observed from the North Pacific to North America (Fig. S3).
- Convective activities were frequently enhanced in the western Pacific, while they were suppressed
in the equatorial regions from South America to Africa and from the eastern Indian Ocean to
around Indonesia (Fig. S4).
- Positive SST anomalies were found over the whole equatorial Pacific (Fig. S5).
Fig. S1 Seasonal climate anomaly / ratio
over Japan
(September – November 2009)
Top: temperature anomalies (degree C)
Middle: Precipitation ratio (%)
Bottom: Sunshine duration ratio (%)
Fig. S2 3-month mean temperature
anomaly (normalized) category
(September – November 2009)
very warm
□
warm
○
normal(+)
●
normal(-)
■
cold
very cold
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17 December, 2009
Japan Meteorological Agency
Fig. S3 3-month mean 500 hPa height and anomaly (left) and 850 hPa temperature and anomaly (right) in the
Northern Hemisphere (September – November 2009)
Contour intervals are 60 m (left) and 3 degree C (right). Shaded patterns show anomalies. Base period for
normal is 1979-2004.
Fig. S4 3-month mean Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) anomaly (September – November 2009)
Contour interval is 10 W/m2. Base period for the normal is 1979-2004. Original data are provided by
courtesy of CDC/NOAA.
Fig. S5 3-month mean sea surface temperature anomalies (September – November 2009)
Contour interval is 0.5 degree C. Base period for the normal is 1971-2000.
Detailed seasonal information on the climate system is available on the Tokyo Climate Center’s website
(http://ds.data.jma.go.jp/tcc/tcc/index.html)
This report is prepared by the Climate Prediction Division, Global Environment and Marine Department,
Japan Meteorological Agency.
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