GHCNh Explorer

Explore the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network Hourly (GHCNh) dataset with an interactive Climate Explorer dashboard, providing coverage for all countries.

NOAA GHCNh overview

This explorer visualizes the Global Historical Climatology Network Hourly (GHCNh) archive, providing quality-controlled historical and near real-time hourly meteorological data and meteorological observations from a worldwide network of land stations curated by NOAA NCEI. The hourly cadence supports analyses of weather extremes and sub-daily variability.

Global Data Coverage

Looking for data for your country?
This dataset contains meteorological records for every country in the world. If you do not see a dedicated dashboard for your specific region elsewhere on Climate Explorer, you will find the data here.

For Europe-wide near real-time observations focused on the most recent 24 hours, see the EuroMeteo Explorer.

Need help? Check the User Guide for detailed instructions.

Use the interactive explorer

Access global weather data instantly. Select any country to explore its stations, chart hourly distributions, and export summaries for local analysis.

About this Data

The GHCNh (Global Historical Climatology Network hourly) is the world’s primary baseline dataset for sub-daily climate analysis. Maintained by NOAA NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information), this massive archive aggregates quality-controlled observations from over 20 global data sources, including the WMO Information System and various national meteorological archives.

Through Climate Explorer, you gain streamlined access to this global network without needing to parse complex text files. The data facilitates:

  • Global Climate Monitoring: Tracking temperature anomalies and precipitation patterns across continents.
  • Extreme Weather Analysis: Investigating heatwaves, cold snaps, and storm events at an hourly resolution.
  • Energy Resource Assessment: Evaluating solar & wind potential with worldwide ground-truth data.

Unique Value: Every Country, One Interface

Most climate datasets are fragmented by national borders. GHCNh unifies them. Whether you are analyzing monsoon trends in India, winter storms in Canada, or heat stress in Australia, this explorer provides a consistent interface for every country in the world.

The dataset features hourly resolution, which is critical for capturing the diurnal cycle (daily high/low patterns) and short-lived meteorological phenomena that daily averages miss.

How to use this tool

  1. Global Navigation: The map starts with a global view. Click on any blue dot to select a station.
  2. Filter by Country: Use the sidebar dropdown to instantly zoom into a specific nation’s network (e.g., “United Kingdom”, “Brazil”, “South Africa”).
  3. Adjust Time Window: Because hourly data is dense, the dashboard loads a 1-year rolling window by default. Use the Date Range slider to move this window backwards in time to explore historical decades.
  4. Visualize & Export:
    • Plots: Inspect the “Weathergami” (Temperature Heatmap) to visualize daily thermal ranges.
    • Data: Switch to table view to download the raw CSV data for your research.
Data Window Note

To ensure performance with high-resolution hourly data, the analysis window is limited to 366 days. The date slider supports smart sliding to easily move this window through time.

Need more help? View the full GHCNh User Guide for detailed instructions.

Data source