World's Oceans Hit Record High July Temperatures The world's oceans have experienced their hottest ever recorded temperatures in July, with an average sea surface temperature of 20. 96C outside the polar regions.
This is not unexpected, given the unfolding climate disaster. However, the record high sea surface temperature is being fueled by the developing El Niño conditions in the Pacific.
El Niño's interaction with human driven global warming is complex and far from benign. The combination of these two factors is creating an unprecedented level of heat and drought globally.