Kategorie: News
Extreme weather events continue to increase
Our planet’s oceans have reached an alarming milestone: never before, since records began, have they been as warm at the start of summer as they are this year.
When the measuring instruments of the European Earth observation programme Copernicus analysed their data on 21 June, they revealed alarming figures: the average surface temperature of the world’s oceans stood at just over 21 degrees Celsius. This surpassed the previous peak values from 2023 and 2024 – years which had themselves already set records.
Two independent measurement systems confirm the trend
These findings do not come from a single source. Both the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service recorded the peak values independently of one another. Whilst one system recorded 20.86 degrees Celsius, the other recorded as high as 21.0 degrees. The slight differences can be explained by different measurement methods, but both agree on the core message: the oceans are getting warmer.
These measurements are based on local stations in the oceans, combined with satellite data from the European Space Agency (ESA). This technology makes it possible to paint a comprehensive picture of global sea temperatures.
El Niño acts as a catalyst
According to Copernicus scientists, the current record comes as no surprise. Exceptionally high water temperatures have already been recorded in numerous ocean regions over the past few months. Added to this is another factor: the climate phenomenon known as El Niño.
This natural weather phenomenon occurs every few years, mainly in the Pacific near the equator, and acts as an amplifier of human-induced climate change. The consequences are severe: periods of drought alternate with devastating floods, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. Whilst the direct impacts on Europe remain manageable, the global consequences are undeniable.
“We are entering uncharted territory”
Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Programme, puts it in no uncertain terms: the current conditions could mark the beginning of a new phase that takes us once again into uncharted territory. Given current sea temperatures and the developing El Niño, it is highly likely that further temperature records will be broken in the coming months – both in the oceans and in the layer of air close to the ground.
Particularly noteworthy: whilst the previous record was set in 2024, when El Niño was already beginning to subside, this time the phenomenon is only just getting started. Scientists therefore expect the situation to worsen significantly.
Warm oceans continue to heat up the climate
Rising ocean temperatures have far-reaching consequences for our entire climate system, warns Copernicus. Warmer oceans keep the atmosphere at high temperatures over longer periods, whilst storing ever more energy. This additional energy is released in the form of extreme weather events: violent storms, torrential downpours and devastating floods are becoming more likely and more intense.
The figures speak for themselves: over the past three years, global sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions have consistently been between 0.35 and 0.73 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. What may sound like a small amount has dramatic consequences in a system as vast as the world’s oceans.
Independent data confirms this trend
Scientists at the University of Maine have also reached similar conclusions. Their ‘Climate Reanalyzer’ platform recorded an average sea temperature of 20.97 degrees Celsius on 21 June. A week later, on 28 June, the figure remained at this worrying level.
The American university has been collecting daily measurements from all regions of the world for around 40 years, also relying on satellite data. The consistency with the European Copernicus measurements underlines the reliability of the findings.
The oceans as a climate buffer – a limited resource
The oceans fulfil a crucial function for our global climate: they act as a huge buffer, absorbing the majority of the excess heat from human-induced global warming. Without this buffering effect of the oceans, the impacts of climate change on land would already be significantly more dramatic.
However, this buffering function has its limits. The warmer the oceans become, the less additional heat they can absorb. At the same time, marine ecosystems such as coral reefs are suffering from rising temperatures, and sea levels are continuing to rise due to the expansion of the warmed water. The current record figures are therefore not just numbers on a gauge – they are a clear warning sign of the accelerating climate crisis that is transforming our planet.
Further information:
The Earth Is Storing More and More Heat
Signs of a “Super El Niño” Are Increasing