Oceans record hottest June, new records ahead with El Niño

The EU's Copernicus Marine Service announced that the global sea surface temperature averaged 21 degrees Celsius in June 2026, breaking a record, and expects more temperature records in the coming months due to El Niño.

Scraper SystemJuly 01, 2026, 09:31 AM

Oceans record hottest June, new records ahead with El Niño

Global oceans reached the highest average temperature ever recorded in June 2026, setting a new record. The European Union's Copernicus Marine Service reported that the average sea surface temperature was measured at 21.0 degrees Celsius. This value surpassed the same month in 2023 and 2024, when previous records were set.

Copernicus Marine Service chief ocean scientist Simon van Gennip stated that the first six months of 2026 were marked by widespread marine heatwaves. "Marine heatwaves expanded steadily throughout this period, ultimately affecting about 82 percent of the global ocean," van Gennip said. The scientist noted that the Mediterranean, the central North Atlantic, and the equatorial Pacific stood out as hot spots, adding that these regional signals indicate that the oceans are under continuous thermal stress.

Copernicus Climate Change Service Director Carlo Buontempo noted that current conditions could mark the beginning of a new era and that oceans could be drifting into "uncharted waters." Buontempo assessed, "With ocean temperatures at this level and El Niño on the horizon, we will see more temperature records broken in the coming months."

El Niño occurs with unusually warm waters in some parts of the Pacific Ocean, leading to more heat release into the atmosphere and affecting winds, clouds, and global weather patterns. This can increase the risk of extreme weather events, ranging from floods in Peru to droughts in parts of Africa and wildfires in Australia.

Oceans absorb about 90 percent of the excess heat caused by human-generated greenhouse gases, making them a key regulator of Earth's climate. Warming seas increase moisture in the atmosphere, fueling tropical cyclones and destructive rainfall. They also contribute directly to sea level rise through thermal expansion and create unbearable conditions for coral reefs. Prolonged marine heatwaves can lead to coral bleaching and death.

A UN scientific assessment released last month warned that with oceans warming and rising faster, the world's oceans are in a "deepening crisis." After the previous El Niño in late 2024, land and sea temperatures reached all-time highs; 2026, with a new El Niño starting this year, could be one of the hottest years on record.

Oceans record hottest June, new records ahead with El Niño