Ocean surface temperatures hit record high as world enters ‘uncharted territory,’ scientists warn

Climate changeOcean surface temperatures hit record high as world enters ‘uncharted territory,’ scientists warn“The planet is warming because we’re emitting vast quantities of greenhouse gasses, primarily from fossil fuel burning,” one expert said. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Add NBC News to Google173 million people under extreme heat alerts as fires rage out west01:49Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJuly 1, 2026, 7:01 AM EDTBy Chantal Da SilvaTemperatures on the ocean surface hit a record high in June, European scientists warned Wednesday, fueling fears of more dangerous heat waves this summer and fanning concerns over the escalating global climate crisis.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.Two separate services under the European Union’s Copernicus earth observation program — the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service — announced they had both independently confirmed the record temperatures. Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Copernicus Climate Change Service, warned that the rising temperatures could mark the “beginning of a new phase.”“With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Niño on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months,” Buontempo said in a statement Wednesday. El Niño is a naturally occurring climate cycle that sees the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual for months at a time.The world could be heading into “uncharted territory,” Buontempo warned. People enjoy the spray of cool water in front of a Chicago Fire Department on Tuesday.Nam Y. Huh / APAccording to Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service, global ocean temperatures outside the polar regions hit record levels on June 21, surpassing levels for the time of the year observed in both 2023 and 2024. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said temperatur...