Copernicus: Global sea surface temperatures hit new daily high, surpassing 2024 record

The global average sea surface temperature reached its highest daily level on record on 22 August 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The reading of 21.1°C surpassed the previous record of 21.09°C, set in March 2024. C3S bases the measurement on its ERA5 reanalysis dataset, which spans back to 1979.

Daily records like this one are best understood in light of broader climate patterns rather than in isolation, C3S stated. The latest figure aligns with two ongoing forces: the long-term warming trend affecting the world's oceans and an intensifying El Niño taking hold in the tropical Pacific.

C3S noted that the timing is particularly unusual, as sea surface temperatures typically peak in March or April, following the Southern Hemisphere summer. The record also…