The average sea surface temperature between 60°S and 60°N reached 20.96°C in July, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported.
It was the highest July value on record. The previous record, set in 2023, was 20.89°C.
From June 19 through the end of July, daily sea surface temperatures were the highest recorded for each corresponding day of the year. The figure reached 21.05°C on July 31, only 0.04°C below the all-time record set in March 2024.
The July average was the eighth highest across all calendar months. Copernicus linked the anomaly not only to developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific but also to record seasonal warmth in other ocean regions.
Record July temperatures covered a large area of the Pacific, stretching from the central equatorial region to the western coasts of Mexico and Central America. Strong to severe marine heatwave conditions were observed there.
Above-average temperatures were also recorded in the northern Pacific, the western North Atlantic and large parts of the Southern Hemisphere ocean. The World Meteorological Organization expects El Niño to strengthen further in the coming months.
