The daily global average Sea surface temperature (SST) has surged to a record, with a temperature of 21.1°C on August 22, exceeding the previous record of 21.09°C set in March 2024, according to a report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
It is an unusually late reading for this time of year, with the long-term warming of the ocean compounded by a strengthening El Nino event.
The timing of the record is noteworthy. Normally, the warmest global ocean temperatures occur in March and April, after the austral summer. But this has occurred in August. It also beats the previous highest August value, reached in 2023 at 20.98°C.
