World’s seas have hit hottest temperature on record for July, say scientists

Scientists suggest this summer has been ‘a clear example’ of climate breakdown intensifying extremes that reinforce each other. Photograph: Avalon/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

The world’s seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists have said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.

Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service found, with severe marine heatwaves roiling Europe’s seas. Globally, the average sea surface temperature outside the cold polar regions was the highest on record for the month, beating the previous July record set in 2023.