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.