Ocean temperatures hit a third consecutive record—signaling a shift beyond natural cycles

Sea surface temperatures reached their highest June level on June 21, topping 2023 and 2024, Copernicus data shows. Three straight records suggest warming is building—not bouncing. Scientists expected El Niño (a natural warming pattern) to drive the spike. Instead, human-caused climate change and El Niño are amplifying each other. That gap matters for how urgently we need to act.