News | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Rain flecked on a windowpane with trees and buildings visible through the glass.

August 20, 2024

Typical Global Climate Conditions

In cooperation with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), NCEI’s World Data Center for Meteorology has released a collection of 1991–2020 Climatological Standard Normals from 141 countries and territories.

Image of Smokey Bear holding "80th Birthday" letters with fire burning in the backgrou

August 9, 2024

Updated August 16, 2024

La NOAA Apoya la Ciencia y la Respuesta ante Incendios Forestales

Smokey Bear celebrates 80 years of being the face of wildfire prevention.

Image of Smokey Bear holding "80th Birthday" letters with fire burning in the background.

August 9, 2024

Updated August 16, 2024

NOAA Supports Wildfire Science and Response

Smokey Bear celebrates 80 years of being the face of wildfire prevention.

Cape Buffalo in a lake with a green field behind it.

August 15, 2024

U.S. Drought: Weekly Report for August 13, 2024

Moderate to exceptional drought covers 18.9% of the United States including Puerto Rico.

August 13, 2024

Super-Marine Heatwaves: A New Term for a Growing Concern

According to the Annual 2023 Global Climate Report, 2023 was the warmest year since global atmospheric temperature records began in 1850. A new analysis led by NCEI scientists shows that global mean sea surface temperatures also set a record high in 2023.

Alt Text: Smoke stacks in Spain against a red and yellow-hued sunset.

August 12, 2024

Assessing the Global Climate in July 2024

The global land and ocean temperature departure from average for July 2024 was the highest on record.

Purple flowers growing amid bushes in front of a lake surrounded by yellow grassland on a sunny day with mountains in the distance.

August 9, 2024

U.S. Drought: Weekly Report for August 6, 2024

According to the August 6, 2024 U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 18.2% of the United States including Puerto Rico, an increase from last week’s 16.9%. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) stayed about the same as last week’s 1.2%.

A tornado approaching an open field with a tinge of blue sky in the background.

August 8, 2024

Assessing the U.S. Climate in July 2024

During July, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 75.7°F, 2.1°F above the 20th-century average.

Photo of a wooden bucket filled with water

May 9, 2017

Updated August 6, 2024

Planet Postcard: A Bucket Full of Data

Less than 100 years ago, scientists and sailors used ordinary wooden buckets to measure sea surface temperatures.

A brown cow standing in a dry pasture with a hazy blue sky overhead.

August 1, 2024

U.S. Drought: Weekly Report for July 30, 2024

According to the July 30, 2024 U.S. Drought Monitor, moderate to exceptional drought covers 16.9% of the United States including Puerto Rico, a slight decrease from last week’s 17.0%. The worst drought categories (extreme to exceptional drought) stayed about the same as last week’s 1.2%.