Sea-news.az according to The Guardian, citing data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the average global ocean surface temperature has reached a record high for June, raising concerns about extreme warming once again this summer.
The Copernicus report notes that in June 2026, ocean surface temperatures outside polar regions surpassed the maximum levels observed in the same period in 2023 and 2024, when temperatures were recorded at approximately 20.9 degrees Celsius. According to the service’s website, global ocean surface temperatures have approached 21 degrees Celsius.
The report states that this new temperature peak is likely to impact weather patterns, the global climate, and marine ecosystems, especially as it coincides with the earliest stages of the El Niño phenomenon, which is forecasted to be the strongest in decades.
Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, warned: “With these ocean temperatures and the approaching El Niño event, we will witness new temperature records being set in the coming months.”
When the sea surface temperature record was first broken in June 2023, scientists described these trends as “alarming” and “horrifying.” The Guardian notes that this record has now been broken, and much of the world is once again witnessing alarming temperature spikes. In June 2026, the United Kingdom and many European countries experienced hot and extreme temperatures.
Scientists have stated that it is too early to predict how the rise in sea surface temperatures will develop, as the annual peaks typically occur in July and August.
Oceans provide a clearer picture of how human impact has disrupted the climate balance. They absorb more than 90 percent of the Earth’s excess energy, primarily from fossil fuel emissions. The oceans are warming at an accelerating rate. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned in this regard: “The Earth is at a breaking point.”
