Brussels [Belgium], August 4 : World's oceans set new surface temperatures as it broke the 7-year record and hit its highest-ever level this week, Euro News reported citing Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
This week, the average surface temperature of the world’s oceans reached 20.96C, breaking the 2016 record of 20.95C.
The ocean temperature records are being broken around the world with dire consequences for the health of the planet.
Scientists believe that the record is likely to be broken in future as well as temperatures are usually highest in March, not August. And this is not a good signal for the Earth.
It follows a pattern of marine heatwaves and record sea surface temperatures around the world.
Meanwhile, the Mediterranean Sea recorded its highest-ever surface temperature last week at 28.71C. Waters around the Florida Keys were similar to the temperature of a hot tub, hitting highs of just over 38C and possibly breaking a world record.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also reported last Friday that the North Atlantic may be the hottest it has ever been. And it's getting hotter much earlier in the year with previous records set in September, according to Euro News.
The rise in the ocean's temperature will impact the climate as they are the ones that absorb heat, drive weather patterns and act as a carbon sink but if they keep getting warmer then it will be less effective at doing this job.
The cycle means that as ocean temperatures rise, they become less effective at absorbing CO2 leading to an increase in the amount of this greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.
Ice also melts as waters warm increasing the severity of sea level rise. And high ocean temperatures can also increase the chance of hurricanes, cyclones, storms and extreme weather.
Hotter oceans also have an effect on marine life with whales and some fish species moving to cooler waters which upsets the food chain. The record-high temperatures also put corals at risk with reefs off the coast of Florida now facing a severe threat of bleaching due to the marine heatwave, reported Euro News.
Earlier, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “short of a mini-ice age” in the coming days, July 2023 would likely “shatter records across the board”.
“Climate change is here. It is terrifying. And it is just the beginning,” said the UN chief, warning that the consequences are as clear as they are tragic: “children swept away by monsoon rains, families running from the flames (and) workers collapsing in scorching heat,” Guterres said.
Speaking at UN Headquarters, the Secretary-General underscored the need for global action on emissions, climate adaptation and climate finance.
He warned that “the era of global warming has ended” and “the era of global boiling has arrived.”
Although climate change is evident, “we can still stop the worst,” he said. “But to do so we must turn a year of burning heat into a year of burning ambition.”
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