Copernicus said July 2026 extra-polar sea surface temperatures set a record for the month.
Why it matters: Warmer oceans can intensify marine heatwaves and raise risks for insurers, shippers and coastal operators. They also add pressure on fisheries and infrastructure planning.
- Copernicus said average sea surface temperatures across the extra-polar ocean in July 2026 were the highest ever recorded for July.
- The previous July record was set in 2023.
- The bulletin was published Aug. 10, 2026.
- Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization said earlier warmth was linked partly to developing El Niño conditions and unusually high sea-surface temperatures in several ocean regions.
Copernicus said July 2026 delivered the highest ever recorded for July average sea surface temperatures across the extra-polar ocean, the band from 60°S to 60°N, in its July 2026 climate bulletin. The previous July high was set in 2023.
The bulletin, published Aug. 10, 2026, adds to a run of unusually warm readings. In its May and June bulletins, Copernicus had already reported record or near-record extra-polar sea-surface temperatures for those months. Those earlier bulletins are part of the same monthly climate reporting series from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
In a separate Copernicus-World Meteorological Organization joint statement, the agencies said the warmth was influenced partly by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, along with unusually high sea-surface temperatures in several ocean regions.
That matters for business and policy readers because sustained ocean warmth can feed into marine heatwaves, storm risk and coastal disruption, with knock-on effects for insurers, shipping, fisheries and infrastructure planning.
By the numbers
- 60°S to 60°N - the extra-polar ocean band covered by the Copernicus reading
- 2023 - the previous July record
- Aug. 10, 2026 - publication date of the July bulletin
Yes, but: Copernicus tied the broader ocean warmth partly to developing El Niño conditions, but that attribution came in a separate joint statement, not the monthly bulletin itself.