Ocean Surface Temperatures Near Record High, EU Climate Body Warns

Kathmandu. The European Union's climate monitoring body warned on Friday that the surface temperature of the world's oceans has reached near extremely high levels in recent days. According to scientists, the current situation is only slightly less than the record for the hottest sea temperature seen in 2024, and there is a strong possibility that a new record could be set in the coming days or weeks.

According to Samantha Burgess, Head of Climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, the ocean surface is continuously warming, signaling major changes in the global climate system. She stated that there is a high probability of new historical records being broken in May alone.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, part of the European Union, confirmed that sea temperatures worldwide have been gradually increasing in April, reaching the second-highest level ever measured. Particularly in the region stretching from the Pacific Ocean to North America, marine heatwaves have intensified significantly, causing climate imbalance in many areas.

Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization has also warned that an 'El Niño' event could develop between May and July. 'El Niño' is a natural change in Pacific Ocean temperature and airflow that increases drought, heavy rainfall, storms, and other extreme weather events worldwide.

According to scientific studies, El Niño is not the sole cause of the current temperature increase, but combined with long-term global warming caused by greenhouse gases emitted from human activities, it is accelerating the Earth's temperature rise. As a result, the past El Niño period saw 2023 and 2024 become the second and hottest years on record, respectively.

Some weather forecasts predict that the upcoming El Niño could be even stronger, comparable to the extremely powerful El Niño of three decades ago.

According to Jake Hausfather, a scientist at Berkeley Earth Research Institute, if the upcoming El Niño is strong, the probability of 2027 becoming the hottest year on record will increase further.

Samantha Burgess clarified that it is difficult to predict its exact strength at this moment, as spring forecasts are often uncertain. However, she emphasized,