Interannual changes of zonal mean temperature in the upper strato sphere are investigated for the period from 1979 to 1986 with the aid of TIROS N/NOAA satellite observations. It is found that a systematic interannual change of the temperature with a maximum in 1980 and a minimum in 1985 is predominant in the upper stratospheric summer of the Northern Hemisphere. The magnitude of the difference between the maximum and minimum temperature is about 2 K at the 1 mb level. This interannual change

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... ems to be in phase with sunspot number index and may be caused by the 11-year solar cycle. In the Southern Hemisphere, however, such a systematic interannual change is unclear even in the summer season of the upper stratosphere, which is probably related to irregular occurrence of final warmings.