PARIS, France (AFP) — The world’s oceans just experienced their hottest June on record and could set fresh highs in the months ahead as El Niño and climate change drive temperatures even higher, scientists said Wednesday.

Global average sea surface temperatures in June were 20.98C, beating the previous records of 2023 and 2024, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Marine Service.

The record capped six months of near unprecedented ocean warmth in 2026, with prolonged marine heatwaves, the service said. Average sea temperatures in the first half of the year were 20.04C, slightly below the high set in the same period in 2024.