Global sea surface temperatures reached an unprecedented average high of 20.96°C (69.73°F) for the month of July, breaking the previous record set in July 2023.

 

World’s seas have hit hottest temperature on record for July, say scientists

Global sea surface temperatures reached an unprecedented average high of 20.96°C (69.73°F) for the month of July, breaking the previous record set in July 2023. Data released by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms that extra-polar waters experienced intense marine heatwaves, particularly across the Atlantic coast and the western Mediterranean.

 

Key Factors Driving the Record Heat

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Decades of human-caused pollution remain the primary driver, with oceans absorbing over 90% of excess global heat.
• Super El Niño: A developing El Niño cycle in the tropical Pacific, described by scientists as potentially unprecedented in amplitude, is actively pumping massive amounts of heat into the marine system.
• Atmospheric Pressure: Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over Western Europe, compounding land droughts and spiking coastal sea temperatures.

Broader Climate Impacts

• Extreme Weather: The intense marine heat helped fuel Western Europe's hottest June–July period on record, triggering severe wildfires across the Mediterranean.
• Global Air Temperatures: Driven by these oceanic anomalies, global surface air temperatures marked this month as the joint second-warmest July on record, virtually tied with July 2024.
• Ecological Disruption: Scientists warn that these extreme temperatures cause mass coral reef bleaching, threaten localized fisheries, and risk a sharp decline in foundational marine life like plankton.

With El Niño expected to strengthen and peak toward the end of the year, climate scientists anticipate that global average temperatures could break entirely new records by late this year or early next year