The average sea surface temperature has passed the records set in June 2023 and June 2024, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Earth observation programme.

This animation shows the sea surface temperature anomaly detected in June 2026, compared to the average for the period 1991-2020, with dark red indicating temperatures that exceed the average by up to 6°C.

Data for the animation is provided by the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS). Data for 1-29 June 2026 is compared to data for 1991-2020 from a high-resolution, satellite-derived dataset created by the European Space Agency's Climate Change Initiative (ESA-CCI).

The record-breaking temperatures were announced today by Copernicus, in a statement that pinpointed Sunday, 21 June, as the day when sea surface temperatures surpassed the daily averages in past years, with temperatures reaching 21°C – a 0.1 °C increase on previous records.

This global animation indicates a large surface temperature rise in the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea and off the coasts of Northern Canada, as well as higher ocean surface readings in bands across the Pacific Ocean. The unusually warm surface waters developing across the tropical Pacific Ocean indicate the beginning of El Niño.

This image shows sea surface temperature anomalies in the Mediterranean Sea on 29 June 2026.