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'Uncharted territory': Record high ocean temperatures confirmed for June as El Niño strengthens its grip

June global sea surface temperatures have climbed to record highs, prompting concerns over extreme weather, flooding, sea level rise and stress to global ocean ecosystems.

The record, announced by the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation program on July 1, surpassed the previous record set in June 2024, with experts warning that more temperature records will likely be set over the coming months.

"Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase, leading, once more, to uncharted territory," Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said in a statement. "With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Niño on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months.”

The record temperature was set on June 21, when the Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded global ocean surface temperatures of 20.86 degrees Celsius (69.55 degrees Fahrenheit), beating the record temperature of 20.83 C (69.49 F) set in 2023 and 2024. This measurement was corroborated by the Copernicus Marine Service, an independent dataset that reported temperatures of 21.0 C (69.8 F).

Graphs to show increasing global sea surface temperatures

Graphs to show increasing global sea surface temperatures from two independent data sources (Image credit: Copernicus)

The recent sea surface heating did not occur evenly across the globe. In some areas, such as the Mediterranean, temperatures in June were up to 8 C (14.4 F) higher than average for the period from 1990 to 2020, as per data recorded on June 29, according to the European Space Agency.

The most significant rises in temperature were set in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, bands across the Pacific and off the coasts of Northern Canada.

Warmer ocean temperatures have wide-ranging impacts. "Higher ocean temperatures keep the atmosphere warm for longer, provide extra energy to storms and increase evaporation, thus enhancing the potential for extreme precipitation and flooding," Copernicus Climate Change Service representatives said in the statement. "Ocean warming also contributes to sea level rise and ice melt, and stresses marine ecosystems."

According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the newly declared El Niño in the Pacific Ocean — the warm phase of a natural climate cycle. This El Niño is likely to reach levels that have not been seen in decades, with more temperature records expected to be set over the coming months as this Pacific heat is injected into an already warming world.

The service added that it remains to be seen whether these temperature spikes are temporary or indicative of longer term trends.

Catastrophism is in Retreat Across Science

24 June 2026 at 09:00

Catastrophism is in retreat across science, says Benny Peiser, as new research challenges the theory that the Toba super-eruption caused a volcanic winter – with important implications for predictions of climate doom.

The post Catastrophism is in Retreat Across Science appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

US's climate.gov site, taken down by Trump, relaunched by nonprofit

23 June 2026 at 23:07

Over decades, researchers in the US government and programs it sponsored built up a tremendous number of climate resources, from comprehensive analyses to massive datasets to basic explainers meant to inform the public. And people within the government built the climate.gov website to make it all accessible. But if you try to navigate there today, you get redirected to the climate page of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and are greeted with the following message:

In compliance with Executive Order 14303 (“Restoring Gold Standard Science”), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s June 23, 2025 Memorandum (“Agency Guidance for Implementing Gold Standard Science in the Conduct & Management of Scientific Activities”), 15 USC § 2904 (“National Climate Program”), 15 USC § 2934 (“National Global Change Research Plan”), and 33 USC § 893a (“NOAA Ocean and Atmospheric Science Education Programs”), you have been redirected to NOAA.gov. Future research products previously housed under Climate.gov will be available at NOAA.gov/climate and its affiliate websites.

Climate.gov was essentially gone, and the team that deleted implied that it happened because climate research somehow failed to uphold what the administration was calling "gold standard science."

But the people who put together climate.gov didn't go away. While the government didn't hesitate to delete inconvenient climate information, dedicated volunteers outside the government managed to preserve copies of much of the material, which the federal government is prohibited from copyrighting. The volunteers and former climate.gov admins got together and launched climate.us. On Tuesday, the team announced that it had completed the project to restore everything lost when climate.gov shut down.

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© NASA

US's climate.gov site, taken down by Trump, relaunched by nonprofit

23 June 2026 at 23:07

Over decades, researchers in the US government and programs it sponsored built up a tremendous number of climate resources, from comprehensive analyses to massive datasets to basic explainers meant to inform the public. And people within the government built the climate.gov website to make it all accessible. But if you try to navigate there today, you get redirected to the climate page of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and are greeted with the following message:

In compliance with Executive Order 14303 (“Restoring Gold Standard Science”), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s June 23, 2025 Memorandum (“Agency Guidance for Implementing Gold Standard Science in the Conduct & Management of Scientific Activities”), 15 USC § 2904 (“National Climate Program”), 15 USC § 2934 (“National Global Change Research Plan”), and 33 USC § 893a (“NOAA Ocean and Atmospheric Science Education Programs”), you have been redirected to NOAA.gov. Future research products previously housed under Climate.gov will be available at NOAA.gov/climate and its affiliate websites.

Climate.gov was essentially gone, and the team that deleted implied that it happened because climate research somehow failed to uphold what the administration was calling "gold standard science."

But the people who put together climate.gov didn't go away. While the government didn't hesitate to delete inconvenient climate information, dedicated volunteers outside the government managed to preserve copies of much of the material, which the federal government is prohibited from copyrighting. The volunteers and former climate.gov admins got together and launched climate.us. On Tuesday, the team announced that it had completed the project to restore everything lost when climate.gov shut down.

Read full article

Comments

© NASA

German Public Health Authorities Dispense Lunatic Heatwave Advice Warning Against Air Conditioning

23 June 2026 at 19:00

As a 'heat dome' settles over Western Europe, German public health authorities have begun dispensing lunatic heatwave advice, says Eugyppius, including, bizarrely, claiming air conditioning makes rooms warmer.

The post German Public Health Authorities Dispense Lunatic Heatwave Advice Warning Against Air Conditioning appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Antarctica’s Future May Be More Predictable Than Scientists Thought

22 June 2026 at 22:58
Vanderford GlacierA new study suggests Antarctic ice loss may be reliably projected over the next several decades. Scientists say the next 30 to 50 years could be a crucial period for understanding and preparing for Antarctic ice loss and its impact on rising sea levels. A new study published in Nature and led by Monash University [...]

Sea Level Rise Is Swallowing Farmland at Alarming Rates

Aerial View of a Tidal MarshCoastal farmland in the Mid-Atlantic is being overtaken by rising seas faster than forests, revealing an overlooked rural front in climate-driven marsh migration. Ghost forests, the eerie stands of dead trees left behind when saltwater moves inland, have become a stark sign of sea level rise along the Mid-Atlantic coast. Yet a new Nature Sustainability [...]

The Oxford Institute Letting Climate Ideology Bias its Research

21 June 2026 at 07:00

The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies is one of the world's most respected institutions in energy economics. But its ideological commitment to the 'climate emergency' is now damaging its research, says Dr Tilak Doshi.

The post The Oxford Institute Letting Climate Ideology Bias its Research appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Is Climate Change Supercharging El Niño?

19 June 2026 at 16:52
As a new, potentially record-breaking El Niño begins, researchers are vigorously debating whether climate change is driving the phenomenon’s intensity.

© Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images

Fighting a wildfire in South Sumatra, Indonesia, during an El Niño-exacerbated dry season in 2023.

Yet Another Climate Activist Masquerading as an Economist

19 June 2026 at 11:00

The National Emergency Briefing purports to be an "expert-led" forum on the 'climate crisis'. Its chosen economist, Angela Francis, however, is an activist with notable lacunae in her economics CV, says Dr Tilak Doshi.

The post Yet Another Climate Activist Masquerading as an Economist appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Will Wes Streeting Really Ditch Ed Miliband’s Net Zero Targets?

18 June 2026 at 07:00

Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting has said Labour should ditch Ed Miliband's Net Zero targets. Or has he? It's as clear as mud, says Ben Pile, with promises of yet more 'green growth' cakeism.

The post Will Wes Streeting Really Ditch Ed Miliband’s Net Zero Targets? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Climate Models May Be Wrong About How Trees Store Carbon

18 June 2026 at 06:26
Sunrise Forest Trees Kongsvinger NorwayA new study reveals that oak trees can keep photosynthesizing for months after growth ends, challenging assumptions about how effectively forests convert absorbed carbon into long-term storage. A tree can look busy long after it has stopped building itself. Its leaves may still be absorbing sunlight and pulling carbon dioxide from the air, but deep [...]

Net Zero Can Never Be Worth it

17 June 2026 at 09:00

With CO2 greening the planet, any possible harms are outweighed by the benefits of more trees and crops. And that's even before you subtract the monumental cost of Net Zero, says Matt Ridley.

The post Net Zero Can Never Be Worth it appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Scrap Net Zero to Boost Defence

17 June 2026 at 07:00

After defence secretary John Healey quit over the under-resourcing of the Armed Forces, Paul Homewood has a simple solution: scrap Net Zero, then Britain can easily meet its military obligations and needs.

The post Scrap Net Zero to Boost Defence appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

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