“Global sea surface temperature breaks records in June, Copernicus indicates”

Environment Desk.- Global sea surface temperatures (SST) have already exceeded the record levels for this time of year reached in 2023 and 2024, according to the latest data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS).

As indicated this Wednesday by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in a statement, the daily SST data recorded by the C3S exceeded 2024 levels on June 21, at 20.86 ºC, slightly above the 20.83 ºC observed in 2023 and 2024.

On the other hand, the CMEMS also indicates record temperatures on June 21, the day on which 21 ºC was reached, exceeding the previous records of 2023 and 2024 by 0.1 ºC.

“Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase that leads us, once again, into uncharted territory,” warned C3S director Carlo Buontempo.

Buontempo has also indicated that, with ocean temperatures at these levels and the El Niño phenomenon on the horizon, “it is likely that we will see temperature records being broken in the coming months.”

In this sense, the director of the C3S has stated that the data provided by Copernicus “support policies aimed at protecting the marine environment“, although it remains to be seen whether this excess is “temporary or indicative” of conditions in the coming months.

You can also read: Copernicus: January was the 5th warmest January

Over the last three years, the global extrapolar ocean -which includes marine waters between 60º south latitude and 60º north latitude- has recorded temperatures between 0.35 ºC and 0.73 ºC higher than the long-term average, and in June these anomalies reached record levels for this time of year.

This “unprecedented” level of warming is a reflection of both climate change and an El Niño phenomenon whose intensity “will likely reach levels not seen in decades.”

According to the statement, the high temperatures recorded generate a warmer atmosphere for a longer period, provide additional energy to storms, and increase evaporation, which raises the risk of “extreme rainfall and flooding”.

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“It also contributes to sea level rise and melting ice, and exerts pressure on marine ecosystems,” the document adds.

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The data obtained -it concludes- have been possible thanks to the “close cooperation” between the C3S -which offers “a broader climatic perspective of the Earth system”- and the CMEMS, which provides more detailed oceanic analyses and forecasts more detailed.