Copernicus data for July 2026 shows average sea surface temperature surpassed the previous 2023 record, while scientists warn of increasingly severe consequences of climate change and the impact of El Niño.
The average surface temperature of the world's seas and oceans reached 20.96 degrees Celsius in July 2026, breaking the previous record of 20.89°C set in 2023, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported on Tuesday, August 11.
In addition to record ocean heat, July 2026 was also the second hottest July on record globally, with temperatures 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial average. Meanwhile, Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July since records began, marking the third consecutive month of extreme heat in the region.
Extreme conditions have led to massive wildfires, particularly in the southern part of the continent. Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, explained that climate change is increasingly creating conditions conducive to devastating fires. "Climate change is increasingly bringing hot and dry conditions that favor large, high-intensity wildfires in southern Europe, while also extending the fire season northward," Rouil stated.
He added that larger fires produce more smoke, which is injected into the upper atmosphere, allowing it to travel much greater distances. Across Europe, sea temperatures in July reached record levels, further intensifying the heatwaves that have gripped the continent.
Particularly concerning is the state of the Pacific Ocean, where temperatures have remained exceptionally high. Scientists warn that El Niño conditions are just beginning to develop in that region-a natural weather pattern that, combined with global warming, could trigger additional temperature spikes and more extreme weather events. Its impact is expected to intensify in the coming months.
Oceans are crucial climate regulators, absorbing most of the excess heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions. Their warming has far-reaching consequences: as seawater warms, it expands, leading to sea-level rise. Additionally, it causes longer and more intense marine heatwaves that threaten marine flora and fauna.
According to a report from the UK Met Office, as reported by the BBC, weather once considered extreme is becoming the "new normal." The assessment shows that the hottest day of the year in southern England is now 4.5°C warmer than it was during the period from 1961 to 1990.
"We are currently living in a time of historic and unprecedented change," Mike Kendon, climate information scientist at the Met Office, told the BBC. Kendon added that the evidence clearly indicates that the 20th-century climate is gone. The world is already on average about 1.4°C warmer than it was at the end of the 19th century, and scientists warn that El Niño could temporarily push global temperatures even higher, against the backdrop of warming caused by human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels.
