Pacific monitoring region reaches record temperature as El Niño strengthens

Sea surface temperatures in the Pacific’s Niño 3.4 monitoring region reached a record 29.70 degrees Celsius in September, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported as El Niño continued to intensify.

The temperature exceeded peaks observed during the strong events of 1982–83, 1997–98 and 2015–16. Copernicus nevertheless told AFP that it could not yet call the current El Niño the strongest on record. Its newer index accounts for the underlying warming of tropical oceans, which complicates comparisons.

Global average sea surface temperatures reached a September record of 21.05 degrees, above the previous monthly high of 20.92 degrees in 2023.

September was the second-warmest globally for surface air temperatures, averaging 16.27 degrees. It was 1.63 degrees above the estimated 1850–1900 baseline. That monthly figure should be distinguished from the Paris Agreement’s long-term warming limit.

El Niño alters winds and rainfall patterns and can increase drought and flood risks. Copernicus said the current episode had not yet reached its peak.