This map displays the extent of monthly sea surface temperatures for the globe that are 28°C or above for the month indicated, compared to the mean extent for the 1991-2020 base period for the same month of the year.
Monthly sea surface temperatures are from the Reynolds and Smith OISST version 2.1 sea surface temperature dataset. Shaded ocean areas are where the monthly average sea surface temperature is 28°C or above for the month indicated. The thick black line traces the location of the 28°C isotherm in the 1991-2020 climatology for the same month of the year. In the tropical oceans, a sea surface temperature of 28°C is often seen as a threshold temperature that can indicate where deep convection is possible in the tropical atmosphere.
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