Global Ocean Surface Temperature Hits Record High on August 22

The world's oceans reached their highest recorded surface temperature on August 22, 2026, with the global average hitting 21.1 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit), according to data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. The record, announced on August 25, surpasses the previous daily high of 21.09 degrees Celsius set in March 2024 and is particularly notable because it occurred in August, a time when ocean temperatures typically begin to decline after peaking in March or April.

Scientists attribute the unprecedented warmth to a combination of human-caused climate change and a rapidly intensifying El Niño event in the tropical Pacific. The timing of the record is significant because global sea surface temperatures usually peak in March or April, following the summer in the Southern Hemisphere, which is predominantly ocean. The fact that a new high was set in August underscores the persistent and widespread warming of the global ocean. The reading also exceeds the previous August record of 20.98 degrees Celsius, set in 2023.

"This record is another clear signal of an ocean under growing stress," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the...