Oceans hit record July temperatures at 20.96C
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- Copernicus Climate Change Service reported the average global sea surface temperature reached 20.96°C in July, surpassing the previous record of 20.89°C set in 2023 and marking 1.47°C above the estimated pre-industrial average.
- Western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period at 21.62°C — 2.79°C above average — with persistent high-pressure systems trapping heat over the region and dry soils reducing natural cooling.
- Sea temperatures reached record highs along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean in July, contributing to widespread strong and severe marine heatwaves; El Niño conditions developing in the tropical Pacific are forecast to strengthen in coming months.
- England and Wales recorded their driest July since records began 190 years ago, with large parts of England and all of Wales officially declared in drought and the UK bracing for its fifth heatwave of the year.
- Massive wildfires raged across western Europe last month with "exceptional activity" in area burned and emissions, while the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers fell to exceptionally low levels alongside significantly reduced soil moisture across France, Spain, Germany, and the UK.
- Met Office analysis found the hottest day of the year in southern England is now 4.5°C warmer than the 1961-1990 baseline, with climate information scientist Mike Kendon stating "the climate of the 20th century has now gone."
Why it matters: The Copernicus data flags a direct feedback loop: warmer oceans absorb less CO2, leaving more greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. With El Niño strengthening on top of 1.4°C of man-made warming and Western Europe's rivers, soil moisture, and fire season all breaking records at once, compounding pressure on water supplies, energy production, and food systems is no longer a future projection — it's this season's operating reality.
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