World’s Oceans Record Hottest June Ever as Scientists Warn of More Heat Ahead

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1102 EAT on Wednesday 1 July 2026

The world’s oceans recorded their warmest June on record, with scientists warning that temperatures could climb even higher in the coming months as the combined effects of El Niño and climate change continue to drive ocean warming, according to a new report.

The European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service said on Wednesday that global sea surface temperatures reached a record average of 21.0°C (69.8°F) in June, surpassing previous records set during the same month in 2023 and 2024.

The latest findings highlight continued concerns over rising ocean temperatures, which contribute to extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and disruptions to marine ecosystems.

“The first six months of 2026 were characterised by persistently elevated sea surface temperatures and widespread marine heatwaves across much of the global ocean,” the European Union’s marine environment monitor said in a statement.

Marine heatwaves expanded steadily during the period, eventually affecting about 82 percent of the world’s oceans, according to Simon van Gennip, a lead oceanographer at the Copernicus Marine Service.

Van Gennip said the Mediterranean Sea, the central North Atlantic Ocean, and the equatorial Pacific Ocean emerged as major hotspots, reflecting a broader pattern of sustained thermal stress across the world’s oceans.

Scientists warn that the development of a potentially strong El Niño event could drive global temperatures in the oceans and atmosphere even higher through 2026 and into the following year.

“Current conditions could signal the beginning of a new phase, once again pushing the planet into uncharted territory,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Buontempo warned that continued high ocean temperatures, combined with the potential arrival of a strong El Niño event, could lead to further record-breaking heat in the coming months.

“With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Niño on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall,” he said in a statement.

El Niño is characterised by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific, which release additional heat into the atmosphere and disrupt global wind, cloud, and weather systems. These changes can increase the risk of extreme weather, including flooding in Peru, drought conditions in parts of Africa, and wildfires in Australia.

Global land and sea temperatures reached record highs in 2024 at the tail end of the previous El Niño event, and scientists warn that 2026 could rank among the warmest years on record if the next El Niño develops as expected.

The latest findings from the Copernicus Marine Service come after a major United Nations scientific assessment last month described the world’s oceans as being in a “deepening crisis,” citing rapidly accelerating warming and sea level rise.

Oceans play a central role in regulating Earth’s climate, absorbing roughly 90 percent of the excess heat generated by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide.

Warmer seas also increase atmospheric moisture, intensifying rainfall and strengthening tropical cyclones. At the same time, rising ocean temperatures contribute directly to sea level rise as seawater expands when it warms, while prolonged marine heatwaves place severe stress on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, which can bleach and die under sustained heat stress.

-Aljazeera

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