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Ocean Heat Sets Alarms: Record Temps Fuel Marine Heatwaves
8 May
Summary
- April 2026 saw the third-warmest global average air temperature on record.
- Marine heatwaves were widespread, alongside record sea surface temperatures.
- Extreme weather events like floods and droughts occurred globally.
Last month, April 2026, experienced the third-highest average global surface air temperature on record, reaching 14.89 degrees Celsius. This represents a significant 0.52 degrees Celsius increase above the 1991-2020 monthly average.
Furthermore, sea surface temperatures approached record highs, accompanied by extensive marine heatwaves, especially in the tropical Pacific. These conditions underscore a pattern of sustained global warmth and climate extremes.
Across the Northern Hemisphere, temperature distributions showed stark contrasts. While much of southwestern Europe, including Spain, recorded its warmest April, Eastern Europe experienced unseasonably cold weather.
The month was also marked by severe weather events globally. These included tropical cyclones in the Pacific, significant flooding in the Middle East across countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Syria, and persistent droughts in southern Africa.
In the Arctic, sea ice extent remained substantially below average, approximately 5% less than usual, making it the second-lowest recorded for April. This situation aligns with a broader trend of climate increasingly shaped by extreme phenomena.
