.jpeg)
Ocean
surface temperatures hit a record high for June
European
scientists warn of consequences for weather patterns, the global climate and
marine life
Jonathan
Watts
Wed 1 Jul
2026 03.00 BST
Temperatures
on the ocean surface have hit a record high, raising fears of another burst of
extreme heat this summer.
On 21
June, temperatures outside the polar regions exceeded the extraordinary highs
observed at the same time in 2023 and 2024, the Copernicus Climate Change
Service said on Wednesday.
It warned
the new peak would probably bring “consequences for weather patterns, global
climate and marine ecosystems”, not least because it would coincide with the
earliest phases of an El Niño event they forecast to be the strongest in
decades.
When the
previous ocean record for June was set in 2023, scientists described the trends
as “worrying”, “terrifying” and “bonkers” because they were so far outside
their expectations. That presaged an El Niño and a period of devastating global
heatwaves, floods and storms.
That 2023
record has now been surpassed and much of the world is once again seeing an
alarming rise in temperatures. Last month, the UK and many other countries in
Europe sweltered amid new heat records while Antarctica experienced
unprecedentedly balmy winter conditions.
Although
the focus is usually on land temperatures, oceans give a fuller picture of how
much the climate is being pushed out of balance by human-caused warming.
Surface
temperatures are affected by solar radiation, water currents and the buildup of
heat in the depths.
Oceans
absorb more than 90% of the excess energy in the Earth system, which is
primarily caused by burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas. That
imbalance hit a record 23 zettajoules last year, more than double the average
of the previous two decades.
As a
result, the oceans are warming at an accelerating rate. In 2020, the amount of
heat being added to the oceans was equivalent to about five Hiroshima bombs a
second. Last year, it was closer to 11 Hiroshima explosions a second. The UN’s
secretary general, António Guterres, has warned “Earth is being pushed beyond
its limits”.
Scientists
said it was too early to say whether the sea surface heating would prove
temporary or even worsen because annual peaks are usually registered in July
and August.
But Carlo
Buontempo, Copernicus director at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather
Forecasts, warned it could indicate the beginning of a new phase, leading, once
more, to uncharted territory: “With ocean temperatures at these levels and El
Niño on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the
coming months.”
Copernicus
is part of the EU’s space programme.
.jpeg)
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário