World’s oceans hit record July temperatures amid strengthening El Niño

The world's oceans recorded their hottest-ever July temperatures, driven in part by a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific that scientists warn could bring record sea levels to the California coast later this year.

The average sea surface temperature across the world's non-polar oceans reached 20.96°C last month, surpassing the previous July record of 20.89°C set in 2023, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the EU's climate monitoring body. July 2026 was also the joint second-warmest July globally, tied with July 2024, with temperatures 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial average.oceanographicmagazine+2

El Niño Threatens California Coast

The record ocean warmth is closely tied to developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, which forecasters say could become one of the strongest events on record. The World Meteorological Organization declared on July 31 that a "strong El Niño is developing" and was expected to continue strengthening through early autumn.yahoo

"We've never seen ocean temperatures in the eastern tropical Pacific as warm as they are today in the region that matters for El Niño," UC climate scientist Daniel Swain said during a recent town hall hosted by California state Sen. Mike McGuire.yahoo

Mark Merrifield, director of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, warned that "likely the highest sea levels ever recorded on the California coast" could result from the event. Higher sea levels combined with larger waves could lead to coastal flooding, beach erosion, and cliff failures, with the most severe impacts expected from late December through March.abc7news+1

Western Europe Endures Exceptional Heat

Western Europe experienced its warmest June-July period on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C — 2.79°C above the long-term average. Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over the region while dry soils reduced natural cooling.myjoyonline+1

"This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.myjoyonline

The prolonged dry conditions fueled massive wildfires across the region and drove river levels — including on the Seine, Rhine, and Danube — to exceptionally low points. England and Wales recorded their driest July in 190 years of records, and large parts of the country have been officially declared in drought.climate.copernicus+1

UN Secretary-General António Guterres put the situation bluntly: "El Niño is not just on our doorstep — it is inside the house and turning up the heat. And this is only a warmup act".yahoo