N. Atlantic ocean temperature sets record high: US agency

First the Mediterranean, now also the Atlantic: US researchers measure a record temperature of 24.9 degrees in the world's second-largest ocean. Although it is only slightly above the previous peak, the Atlantic won't be warmest until September.

North Atlantic ocean temperature sets record high

On the heels of a new record high in the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic reached its hottest-ever level this week, several weeks earlier than its usual annual peak.

The ocean surface is 24.9 degrees - it has never been so warm since records began. Experts expect the temperature to rise further in August.

Normally, the North Atlantic only reaches its temperature peak in early September.

Surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean have reached a new record, according to preliminary data released Friday by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has been tracked since the early 1980s.

The American Agency for Oceanic and Atmospheric Observation announced a new heat peak on Friday, July 28. Although it slightly exceeds the previous record, it is above all much earlier in the year.