World's oceans hit hottest temperature ever recorded in August as El Niño takes hold
Copernicus said the record 21.1C reading reflects a strong El Niño and decades of human-driven warming that are increasing marine heatwaves.
- On August 22, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded a record-high global ocean surface temperature of 21.1 degrees Celsius, narrowly surpassing the previous daily record of 21.09 degrees Celsius set in March 2024.
- A strong El Niño developing in the Pacific Ocean is adding heat to a system already warmed by decades of human-driven climate change, with the World Meteorological Organization forecasting further strengthening in coming months.
- "From the Atlantic waters off Ireland to the Mediterranean Sea, Europe's seas are experiencing an alarming surge in temperatures," said Thomas Frolicher, an environmental physicist at the University of Bern, Switzerland, attributing it to fossil fuel burning.
- "This record is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress," says Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, noting warmer water absorbs CO2 less efficiently, weakening the planet's carbon sinks.
- Climate scientist Zachary Labe of Climate Central warned the record is consistent with global warming and cautioned it is "very possible" temperatures could break this record again in the coming months.
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64 Articles
Earth’s oceans reach a milestone scientists say may be unprecedented in millennia
Global sea surface temperatures have climbed to the highest levels observed in modern records, with scientists saying ocean warmth may now rival levels not seen for thousands of years. Data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service showed average sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions reaching approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit in late August, narrowly surpassing a previous record set in March 2024. Researchers sai…
Last Saturday, the average sea surface temperature reached a new record. Researchers warn of extreme weather – and wonder about the timing of the measurement.
Ocean 'under unprecedented strain' as El Niño helps supercharge warming to record levels
Global ocean temperatures have reached a record high as El Niño injects extra heat into our already-warming world. On Saturday (Aug. 22), the daily global average sea surface temperature (SST) was hotter than at any time since records began in 1979, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service."This record is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress," Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at Coperni…
On Saturday, August 22, the average daily surface water temperature of the world's oceans reached 21.1°C, breaking the previous record of March 2024.
The water temperature at the surface of the world's oceans averaged 21.1oC on Saturday, an absolute record for one day, due to global warming and the El Niño climate phenomenon, announced this Monday, 24 August, the European Copernicus Observatory. The temperature record exceeded that established in March 2024, at 21.09oC, at a time when the El Niño phenomenon can be the most significant ever recorded, according to scientists. El Niño is a globa…
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