Record-breaking Sea Surface Temperature Recorded in Pacific Monitoring Region

A record-breaking sea surface temperature has been recorded in a key Pacific monitoring region, marking another sign of the intensifying El Nino weather pattern.

The EU's Copernicus climate service announced on Monday that the temperature in this zone reached an all-time high of 29.70C in September.

This temperature exceeds those seen during previous strong El Nino events, including those of 1982/1983, 1997/1998 and 2015/2016, underscoring the exceptional intensity of the current phenomenon.

Forecasters have been warning for months that this El Nino would likely become the strongest ever observed, with its peak expected later in the year.

Global warming is being exacerbated by the El Nino pattern, which raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific and triggers changes in weather that can increase drought and flood risks.

The European Union's Copernicus service has released new data on the current El Nino event, which is causing widespread weather disruptions around the globe. While it cannot yet confirm that this El Nino is the strongest ever recorded, the service did note that the event is already exceptionally strong and is expected to peak soon.

Climate change is a complicating factor in assessing the strength of recent El Nino events, as rising ocean temperatures can make them appear stronger than they actually are. To account for this, Copernicus has adopted a new index that takes into consideration the warming of tropical oceans, which suggests that the current event may not be significantly stronger than past ones.

However, other forecasters are using different scales to interpret El Nino, and Japan's weather agency recently reported that the phenomenon had reached its strongest intensity on record. According to their data, temperatures in the monitoring area were a staggering 4C above normal, with the current event showing no signs of abating.

Meanwhile, Copernicus has also released new data on global sea surface temperatures, which hit a record high for September at 21.05C. This is not only a notable increase from previous years but also contributes to the overall trend of rising global average temperatures.

The world experienced its second-hottest September on record, with an average temperature of 16.27C, making it 1.63C hotter than pre-industrial levels.

The latest El Nino event has set a new record for Pacific temperature, intensifying its impact on global weather patterns.

Scientists warn that this strong El Nino will likely persist into 2027, prolonging the period of above-average temperatures and exacerbating climate-related issues.

According to climate experts, crossing the Paris Agreement's long-term limit of 1.5C is now only a matter of time, with the exact extent and duration of "overshoot" still uncertain.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels is crucial to limiting the period of above-average temperatures and bringing global temperatures back down as quickly as possible.