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OCEAN SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE BREAKING NEW RECORDS ONCE MORE
DETAIL INFORMATION
During an unprecedented summer heat wave in Europe, the EU-supported Copernicus Marine Service has issued a familiar warning: a new record for global sea surface temperature, marking 2026 as the third year in the past four that this limit has been exceeded.
The slight variation is minimal, approximately 0.1 degrees C compared to historical data for June 21, and it was anticipated. As El Niño conditions develop in the Pacific and elevated heat events are recorded in different ocean basins, the average is anticipated to increase - with additional daily records expected in the upcoming weeks.
A sister organization, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), verified the new daily record.
"Given the current ocean temperatures and the approaching El Niño, more temperature records are expected to be broken in the following months." "The fact that Copernicus Marine data arrives at the same conclusion using different methods highlights the strength of European science—and underscores the critical importance of open, reliable data today," stated Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at ECMWF.