Ocean temperatures hit 'very troubling' record high, spurred by El Niño

The world's ocean temperatures reached an alarming record high of 21.1 degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday, surpassing the previous high set in March 2024, according to scientists. This record-breaking heat is primarily driven by a powerful El Niño event and the ongoing impact of human-induced climate change. Typically, sea surface temperatures peak in March and April, as this is when most of the ocean lies in the southern hemisphere.

However, this year, the record was shattered in August, indicating that the oceans will continue to warm until the current El Niño reaches its peak, expected between November and January.

Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead for European climate service Copernicus, emphasized that this alarming temperature spike is a clear sign that our climate system is under significant strain, with the ocean facing immense pressure. Jane Lubchenco, a renowned oceanographer and former chief of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, described the record as "very troubling," warning that such a warm ocean can destabilize weather patterns, threaten food security, economic prosperity, and marine life.

A warmer ocean also becomes more acidic and carries less oxygen, negatively impacting industries reliant on the seas and altering ocean currents and weather patterns, which can intensify storms, making them rainier and causing larger storm surges.

The current El Niño is already as large as recent ones and is continuing to grow, expected to reach unprecedented levels at its peak. This natural warming of parts of the Pacific not only warps weather and raises global temperatures but is also a significant contributor to the heat in the oceans, alongside the long-term warming caused by burning coal, oil, and gas.