World's oceans hit highest temperature on record as El Niño grows
The record "is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress", according to Dr Samantha Burgess from the European Copernicus climate change service.
The world's oceans have reached their highest temperature on record, according to new data from the European Copernicus climate change service. On Saturday, the average surface temperature of the planet's seas outside the polar regions was 21.1C (70F), surpassing the previous record of 21.09C set in March 2024. Dr Samantha Burgess, deputy director of Copernicus, stated that this record is a clear sign of an ocean under growing stress, with El Niño adding heat to the system on top of human-driven warming.
Scientists are particularly concerned that the oceans are already so hot when El Niño is still some way off its expected peak. The unusually warm waters of El Niño could cause global average temperatures to spike further. The data, based on measurements from buoys, ships, and satellites, shows that the oceans are taking up more than 90% of the excess heat trapped by human greenhouse gas emissions.
This increasing heat is already causing widespread marine heatwaves, raising sea levels and posing a greater risk of coastal flooding, and is devastating marine ecosystems such as coral reefs.
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