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Ocean Temperatures Hit Near-Record Highs in March, Signaling El Niño Shift
Copernicus said the 20.97 C average was the hottest March sea surface reading since 2024, as a likely El Nino shift looms.
- On April 10, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported ocean temperatures hit near-record highs for March, reflecting "a likely transition toward El Nino conditions," said Copernicus, the European Union's climate monitor.
- Several meteorological agencies predicted El Nino's return in 2026, a natural cycle warming Pacific waters. The World Meteorological Organization said a cooling La Nina cycle was tipped to give way to neutral conditions before swinging into El Nino later this year.
- March 2026 also saw the lowest Arctic sea ice cover on record, a bellwether of climate change. Copernicus takes measurements using billions of satellite and weather readings, with data extending back to 1940.
- Global average temperatures were 1.48 deg C above the pre-industrial benchmark, making March the fourth-hottest on record. Hotter seas fuel stronger storms, bleach coral reefs, and contribute to sea-level rise through thermal expansion.
- Oceans absorb most excess heat caused by carbon emissions, playing a key role in regulating global climate. Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said the data tells "a sobering story" as figures paint a picture of sustained and accelerating pressure.
29 Articles
29 Articles
In its latest monthly bulletin, the European Observatory Copernicus reports that the surface temperature of the oceans reached 20.97°C in March 2026. To a tenth of a degree, the figure is dangerously close to the absolute record recorded in March 2024. The return of the cyclical phenomenon El Niño, which causes periodic warming of part of the Pacific, is increasingly likely. - The oceans close to their record of heat, the return of El Niño incre…
El Nino summer could bring sticky weather, tropical storms | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
As Hawaii experiences its third major storm in less than a month, the state is also facing the likelihood of a wetter and more humid than normal summer and fall, according to the National Weather Service, which Thursday forecast a 61% chance of an El Nino, which generates warmer ocean waters that can trigger more tropical storms.
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