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Alerts over red-hot oceans: scientists fear the return of El Niño phenomenon
The most recent report from the European observatory Copernicus has raised alarms by revealing that the average temperature of the oceans reached near-historic highs for March.
TL;DR
- Ocean temperatures in March neared historic highs, with a reading of 20.97°C, just a tenth below the 2024 record.
- The warming trend continues into April, suggesting a likely transition to El Niño conditions.
- El Niño can lead to a chain reaction of global climate effects and has been linked to the two warmest years on record (2023-2024).
- Ocean warming contributes to sea-level rise, marine heatwaves, and exacerbates extreme weather like intense rainfall and cyclones.
- March was the fourth warmest on record globally, 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels.
- Arctic sea ice extent reached its lowest historic level during the boreal winter.
- The combination of climate change and natural phenomena like El Niño could trigger new episodes of extreme heat and severe weather.