World's oceans hit record heat as El Niño strengthens

Oceans hit highest temperature on record

Global ocean surface temperatures outside the polar regions reached 21.1°C on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in March 2024, according to the European Copernicus climate service. The record comes unusually early in the year, as El Niño is still strengthening and expected to peak around Christmas. Scientists warn that this early spike signals a powerful El Niño and underscores the long-term warming trend driven by human emissions, with severe implications for extreme weather, sea levels, and marine life.