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 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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