The planet’s oceans have broken the record for the highest temperature recorded.
This is according to Copernicus, the EU’s climate change service.
On 1 August the average global ocean temperature was 20.96 degrees Celsius, breaking a record set in 2016.
Warming ocean temperatures are a concern for a number of reasons, according to scientists. Warmer water does not absorb carbon dioxide as well as colder water, meaning more of the gas stays in the atmosphere. Warmer temperatures can also harm marine life, both flora and fauna.
In addition, the oceans act as a key regulator of the world’s weather. Any significant change in the temperature of the world’s oceans could have serious implications for the world’s climate patterns.
A scientist from Copernicus, Dr Samantha Burgess, was quoted by the BBC as saying that March is the month when global ocean temperatures should be at their peak, not August.
She said: ‘The fact that we’ve seen the record now makes me nervous about how much warmer the ocean may get between now and next March.’