Oceans Warm Sharply In March As El Nino Conditions Loom

BRUSSELS- Global sea surface temperatures rose to their second-highest level on record in March, the European Union’s climate monitor said April 10, indicating a possible shift toward El Nino conditions later this year.

Average sea surface temperature over the extra-polar oceans, between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north, reached 20.97 degrees Celsius, the second-highest for March on record, according to the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

Daily sea surface temperatures increased steadily through the month and approached record levels seen during the previous El Nino event.

Copernicus said several climate centers are forecasting a transition from neutral conditions to El Nino in the second half of 2026. The pattern, marked by warming waters in the equatorial Pacific, can raise global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in some regions.

March 2026 was also the world’s fourth-warmest March on record, C3S said.

“Copernicus data for March 2026 tells a sobering story, “said Carlo Buontempo, Director of C3S. “Each figure is striking on its own — together, they paint a picture of a climate system under sustained and accelerating pressure.” (IANS)