Oceans Record Highest Temperatures in History

The global average sea surface temperature recorded an unprecedented daily record high, signaling a new escalation in the impacts of climate change and the El Niño phenomenon, according to the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Copernicus described the August record as unusual, noting that global ocean temperatures typically peak in March and April, at the end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, where the largest oceanic areas are concentrated.

Scientists link the rise to climate change driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases, coinciding with an El Niño event expected to be among the strongest on record this year.

Oceans play a pivotal role in regulating Earth’s climate, absorbing about 90 percent of the excess heat generated by human activities.

The service warned that continued ocean warming increases risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities, and can exacerbate extreme weather events by raising atmospheric heat and humidity, thereby intensifying rainfall and storms.