Scientists have recorded the highest temperature ever measured in the world’s oceans, as climate change combines with a powerful El Nino in the tropical Pacific. The global average sea-surface temperature hit a record 21.1 degrees Celsius on Aug. 22, according to Europe’s Earth observation agency Copernicus, which has been tracking the metric daily since 1979. The previous single-day record of 21.09 C was measured in March 2024.
Higher ocean temperatures contribute to sea level rise and increase the chance of extreme weather events, as warmer water transfers more heat and moisture to the atmosphere, intensifying storms and heat on land. Warmer oceans also have a reduced capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. Record temperatures have already been measured in isolated areas of the world’s oceans, including the western Mediterranean Sea as well as at the Earth’s poles, driven mainly by human-made climate change.
Copernicus expects the trend to continue, with ocean temperatures now being supercharged by El Nino. The August record is particularly worrying because global ocean temperatures are typically highest in March and April, after the Austral summer, Copernicus said.
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