Ocean sea-surface temperatures reached 21.1°C on Friday and Saturday, narrowly surpassing the previous record set in March 2024. Scientists attribute the spike to a large El Niño plus human-caused climate change, and say oceans are likely to warm further in coming months, stressing marine and land life.
WHO:Scientists
WHAT:World ocean temperatures hit a record high of 21.1°C and are expected to warm further in the next few months.
WHEN:Reported Aug 24, 2026 at 4:56 PM ET
WHERE:Location not specified
WHY:A supersized natural El Niño and human-caused climate change spurred the record high ocean temperatures.
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