Ocean temperatures reached world record in July

The average temperature of oceans outside the polar caps and extreme polar regions exceeded 20.96 °C last month, breaking the previous record of 20.89 °C recorded in 2023.

One of the factors contributing to this increase was the exceptionally high temperatures over a vast area of the tropical Pacific Ocean. This zone is experiencing conditions of a meteorological phenomenon known as El Niño, which forecasts suggest will intensify in the coming months.

Around Europe, temperature records in the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean Seas were linked to intense marine heatwaves, which affected both ecosystems and coastal communities.

The western part of the continent experienced the hottest period combined for June and July in recorded history, reaching 21.62°C. This figure surpasses the 2022 record and is 2.79°C above the average. During this time, heatwaves occurred, and drought persisted, which began back in May.

Precipitation and soil moisture were exceptionally low for this period in France, Spain, parts of Germany, and the United Kingdom. According to a report published by C3S, river runoff in the affected regions dropped significantly below average or was extremely low, impacting water supply, irrigation, and energy production in several countries, especially along the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers.

Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts explained that 'persistent high-pressure systems held heat over Western Europe; extreme temperatures also exacerbated the overall drought. As the soil dries out, it loses its ability to naturally provide coolness.'

She added that this is 'a clear example of how climate change intensifies extreme temperatures, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing each other.'

Globally, July last month was the second warmest on record, with an average sea surface temperature of 16.90°C. This figure matches last year's July but lags behind the July 2023 record, being 1.47°C above the pre-industrial average level of 1850–1900.

Lawrence Ruil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, noted that 'last month saw exceptional forest fire activity in Western Europe in terms of burning area and emissions.'

Ruil emphasized that climate change-induced conditions contribute to large and high-intensity fires in Southern Europe while extending the fire season northward. Furthermore, she warned that larger fires produce more smoke, which is released higher into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel further and affect even countries thousands of kilometers away where the number of fires is relatively small.