The world's oceans have recorded the highest temperatures ever recorded in July, sounding another alarm bell about climate change.
According to the European climate monitoring service Copernicus, the average sea surface temperature outside the polar regions reached 20.96 degrees Celsius. The previous record for July was 20.89 degrees, set in 2023.
Another factor pushing temperatures higher is El Nino, a natural phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean that is expected to strengthen in the coming months. Combined with human-caused global warming, it could bring even more extreme temperatures.
Europe is also facing severe consequences. Sea temperatures reached record highs across the Atlantic and Western Mediterranean, triggering powerful marine heatwaves.
Meanwhile, Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July ever recorded, as drought and high temperatures fueled massive wildfires in France, Spain, Germany and elsewhere.
Scientists warn that warmer waters absorb less carbon dioxide, while changing marine ecosystems and disrupting food chains.
According to experts, weather that was once considered extreme is increasingly becoming the "new climate normal."