Ocean Waters Off New England Much Warmer Than Normal This Year

August 22, 2009

If you’ve been swimming, body surfing or surfing recently in the waters off our beaches, such as at Crane Beach, Ipswich; North Beach, North Hampton, NH; Hampton Beach, Hampton, NH; Good Harbor Beach on Cape Ann; or Salisbury Beach, and thought that the water has been much warmer and more comfortable than normal, you are correct!

An article by Richard Gaines in the Gloucester Daily Times earlier this week reported that ocean surface water temperatures around the world, as well as locally in the Gulf of Maine, are indeed much warmer than normal according to statistics and data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

July 2009 Ocean Surface Temperature Highest Recorded Since NOAA Began Keeping Records

NOAA’s analysis of ocean surface temperatures for July 2009, concluded that the ocean surface temperature in July was the highest ever recorded during that month, going back to when NOAA began keeping records in 1880.

New England’s Ocean Surface Temperatures One Of Three Most Extreme Increases

NOAA reports that ocean temperatures off the New England coast, including the Gulf of Maine, showed one of the most extreme increases in temperature of all the oceans on the planet.

Ocean surface temperatures in the waters between Portland , Maine and Gloucester, Massachusetts have been between 12 to 15 percent warmer than normal this year. Average temperatures in this region are normally between 62 and 63 degrees Fahrenheit. During July 2009, the average temperatures were ranging in the low 70’s, a significant change in average temperature.

NOAA does not have a specific explanation for what has caused this year’s increase in temperature.

For more information, read Mr. Gaines’s article in the Gloucester Daily News online.