Stark warning as ocean temperatures beat record high

The sea surface temperature has beaten a 2016 record high

Climate scientists have warned of the “sobering” speed of climate change as the average daily global sea surface temperature beat a 2016 record this week.

The figure, according to the EU's climate change service Copernicus, is far higher than the average for this time of year, surging to 20.96C.

The data will be published by Copernicus in a report on 8 August.

Rising sea temperatures can disrupt marine life.

The new high beats that set in 2016, during a previous El Niño, a naturally-occurring climate phenomenon, which occurs when warm water rises to the surface off the west coast of South America, pushing up global temperatures.

The current El Niño, which is still in its early stages, could be pushing warm water to the surface of oceans, some scientists have claimed.

Dr Samantha Burgess, from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said she was worried over how warm oceans will be in March, when they are usually at their hottest in the year. The last record occurred when El Niño was at its peak, meaning in the current situation, temperatures could warm further.

"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," she said.

“The more we burn fossil fuels, the more excess heat will be taken out by the oceans, which means the longer it will take to stabilise them and get them back to where they were."

Prof Burgess pointed to a series of marine heatwaves this year including in the UK, the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Mexico.

In June, temperatures in UK waters were 3C to 5C higher than average, according to the Met Office and the European Space Agency, while in Florida, sea surface temperatures hit 38.44C last week - a similar temperature to a hot tub.

Normally temperatures should be between 23C and 31C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Prof Burgess said: “The marine heatwaves that we're seeing are happening in unusual locations where we haven't expected them."

Prof Mike Burrows is monitoring impacts on Scottish sea shores with the Scottish Association for Marine Science,

“It is sobering to see this change happening so quickly,” he said.

Marine heatwaves doubled in frequency between 1982 and 2016, and have become more intense and longer since the 1980s, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Rising sea temperatures means oceans have less ability to absorb carbon dioxide, while it also accelerates the melting of glaciers, pushing sea levels higher.

It also disrupts the habitats of marine species, which move location to find cooler waters, upsetting the food chain.

The World Health Organisation said on Friday that the ongoing El Niño, which was announced by the World Meteorological Organisation last month, is highly likely to have wide-ranging health implications on a global scale. In the coming months, the most severe health threats are likely to arise from malnutrition due to ongoing food insecurity compounded by the effects of El Niño, heat stress, environmental pollution, cholera, and other diarrhoeal diseases.