The global sea surface temperatures (SST) have already surpassed the record levels for this time of year reached in 2023 and 2024, according to the latest data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the Copernicus Marine Monitoring Service (CMEMS).
As indicated this Wednesday by the European Center for Medium-Term Weather Forecasts (ECMPM) in a statement, the daily SST data recorded by the C3S exceeded the levels of 2024 on June 21, with 69.55 °F, slightly above the 69.49 °F observed in 2023 and 2024.
On the other hand, CMEMS also reported record temperatures on June 21, when 69.8 °F was reached, surpassing previous records from 2023 and 2024 by 0.2 °F.
“Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase that will take us, once again, into unexplored territory,” warned C3S director Carlo Buontempo.
Buontempo also indicated that, with ocean temperatures at these levels and the El Niño phenomenon on the horizon, “we are likely to see temperature records broken in the coming months.”
In this sense, the director of C3S stated that the data produced by Copernicus “support policies aimed at protecting the marine environment”, although it remains to be seen if this excess is “temporary or indicative” of conditions in the coming months.
For the past three years, the extrapolated global ocean—which includes marine waters between 60° south latitude and 60° north latitude—has recorded temperatures between 0.6°F and 1.3°F above the long-term average, and in June these anomalies have reached record levels for this time of year.
This “unprecedented” level of warming is a reflection of both climate change and an El Niño phenomenon whose intensity “is likely to reach levels not seen in decades.”
According to the statement, the high temperatures recorded generate a warmer atmosphere for longer, provide additional energy to storms and increase evaporation, which increases the risk of “extreme precipitation and flooding.”
“It also contributes to sea level rise and melting ice, and puts pressure on marine ecosystems,” the document adds.
The data obtained, he concludes, have been possible thanks to the “close cooperation” between C3S, which offers “a broader climate perspective of the Earth system”, and CMEMS, which provides more detailed ocean analysis and forecasts.