Published on
01/07/2026 - 4:01 GMT+2
Global sea surface temperatures have reached record highs for this time of year – the latest sign that the world’s oceans are entering what scientists describe as “uncharted territory”.
On 21 June, the global average reached 21.0°C, according to measurements taken by both the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). This beats the previous records from 2023 (20.83ºC) and 2024 (20.86ºC) by 0.1°C.
Although it might appear marginal, even tiny temperature shifts can wreak havoc on marine ecosystems, contribute to sea level rise and trigger extreme weather events.
