World's Oceans Break June Heat Record: EU Monitor
Copernicus said marine heatwaves affected 82% of the global ocean by month’s end, raising concerns that more temperature records could fall.
- Global average sea surface temperatures reached a record high for the January-to-June period, according to the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service, capping six months of unprecedented ocean warmth in 2026.
- Scientists warn that a powerful El Niño weather pattern, combined with greenhouse gas emissions, is driving temperatures higher; oceans absorb 90 per cent of excess heat caused by humanity's fossil fuel burning.
- Marine heatwaves affected around 82% of the world's oceans during the January-to-June period, with the Mediterranean reaching 24.3°C and the tropical Pacific 27.26°C, the service reported.
- Hotter seas directly increase sea level rise through thermal expansion and create unbearable conditions for tropical reefs; warmer oceans provide fuel for tropical cyclones and destructive rainfall.
- Copernicus Climate Change Service director Carlo Buontempo warns conditions may indicate a new phase; with El Niño on the horizon, he said "we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months.
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Record Ocean Heat Signals 'New Phase' in Climate Crisis
The world's oceans just notched a troubling new mark. European Union scientists say global sea-surface temperatures outside the polar regions hit a record for the time of year on June 21, a spike they warn could usher in "a new phase" of climate impacts as heat waves intensify on land,...
Global sea surface temperatures broke records again in June. On June 21, they reached nearly 21 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the 20.83 degrees Celsius measured in 2023 and 2024. This was reported by the climate branch (C3S) and ocean branch (CMEMS) of the European Earth observation program Copernicus.
With ocean temperatures at these levels and the El Niño on the horizon "we are likely to see a break in temperature records in the coming months," C3S director Carlo Buontempo warned.
According to new data, the planet's oceans are registering unprecedented temperatures for this time of year, breaking the historical record for June, with alarming implications for the global climate and marine life.
June was the warmest month ever recorded in oceans worldwide. This is reported by the European climate service Copernicus. The average temperature of the...
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