Ocean 'under unprecedented strain' as El Niño helps supercharge warming to record levels

The world's oceans are experiencing a record-breaking heat wave, driven by the El Niño phenomenon. On August 22nd, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that the daily global average sea surface temperature had surpassed all previous records since 1979. Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, emphasized that this record underscores the growing stress on our ocean.

While El Niño injects extra heat into an already-warming world, it is amplifying the effects of decades of human-driven warming. As ocean temperatures continue to rise, the risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities escalate. The primary driver of global warming is human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

These gases trap heat, leading to a rise in global temperatures. El Niño, a natural climate pattern marked by unusually warm Pacific waters, temporarily adds to this warming trend. Researchers fear that we could be on the brink of a historic "super" El Niño, which could trigger a humanitarian crisis and push climate systems to a critical threshold.

The Copernicus estimates of global sea surface temperature are based on satellite measurements, revealing a new high of 21.1 degrees Celsius (69.98 degrees Fahrenheit) on August 22nd. This surpasses the previous record of 21.09 degrees Celsius (69.96 degrees Fahrenheit), set in 2024, during a similarly intense El Niño event. The late-year record is particularly notable, as such highs are typically observed in March and April.

The record-setting temperatures align with long-term warming trends and the emergence of a potent El Niño event.