Global sea surface temperatures in June reached a record high. Scientists warn that the El Niño phenomenon, combined with climate change, could push temperatures in both the oceans and the Earth's atmosphere even higher.
Data from the European Union's Copernicus Marine Service indicates that the global average sea surface temperature in June 2026 was 20.98 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous records set in 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, the first six months of 2026 have seen persistently unusually high ocean temperatures worldwide, with an average sea surface temperature of 20.04 degrees Celsius—just slightly below the record for the same period in 2024—while many regions continue to experience prolonged marine heatwaves.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said that current ocean conditions may signal the start of a new phase the world has never faced before.
He stated that with ocean temperatures this high and the likelihood of an imminent El Niño event, the world could witness multiple new temperature records in the coming months.
El Niño is a phenomenon caused by above-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, leading to increased heat release into the atmosphere and affecting global wind patterns, clouds, and weather.
Potential impacts include severe flooding in Peru, droughts in parts of Africa, wildfires in Australia, and a temporary rise in average global temperatures, which exacerbates the warming trend caused by human greenhouse gas emissions.
Simon van Gennip, senior oceanographer at the Copernicus Marine Service, said 2026 is likely to become one of the hottest years ever recorded, driven by both El Niño and human-induced greenhouse gas accumulation.
This report follows a major scientific assessment by the United Nations last month, warning that the world's oceans are facing an escalating crisis as sea temperatures and sea levels rise faster than ever before.
The oceans play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate by absorbing about 90% of the excess heat from greenhouse gases emitted by humans.
However, as the oceans warm, more water vapor enters the atmosphere, fueling tropical cyclones and heavy rainfall; meanwhile, thermal expansion raises sea levels and damages coral reefs, which may bleach and die from prolonged marine heatwaves.
Copernicus data shows that in the first half of 2026, marine heatwaves covered about 82% of the world's oceans, ranking as the second highest level after 2024.
Marine heatwaves are periods when sea temperatures remain above average for extended durations, affecting marine ecosystems, weather patterns, and causing mass die-offs of marine life.
The report also notes that the Mediterranean Sea had an average temperature of 24.3 degrees Celsius in June, breaking previous records from 2023 and 2025, with over 98% of the Mediterranean experiencing marine heatwaves during the first half of the year.
Meanwhile, Spain's climate institute revealed that marine heatwaves in the northwestern Mediterranean reached their highest recorded intensity last Monday, shortly after Europe experienced record-breaking heatwaves across several countries.
The tropical Pacific Ocean had an average sea surface temperature in June of 27.26 degrees Celsius—the highest ever recorded—with the hottest anomalies in the western Pacific, along the equator, and off the coasts of Peru and California, USA.
Scientists warn that if these trends continue, the world could face more extreme weather events, damage to marine ecosystems, and impacts on economies and food security in many regions globally.
Source:channelnewsasia
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