The world’s oceans experienced their warmest June ever recorded, and could get hotter as El Niño and climate change continue to push temperatures higher. Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high of 20.98°C in June, beating previous records set in 2023 and 2024, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service. The record comes after six months of persistently elevated sea temperatures in 2026, with prolonged marine heatwaves affecting 82% of the world’s oceans. According to scientists, a potentially powerful El Niño weather pattern could further increase global heat in the oceans and atmosphere for the remainder of 2026 and into next year. Copernicus Climate Change Service director Carlo Buontempo said the onset of El Niño could mean “we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months.” This latest report follows a warning issued in a major UN scientific assessment, which declared the world’s oceans to be in a “deepening crisis,” as seas warm and rise at an accelerating pace. Rising ocean temperatures pose a risk to the Earth’s climate, as the oceans absorb some 90% of the excess heat caused by humanity’s release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.