Farewell to winter

A view of the Madeira River amid the drought in Porto Velho in the state of Rondonia, Brazil. With a heatwave in the southern hemisphere and record ocean temperatures, the ominous signs of climate change continue. This year, the Earth’s surface registered the hottest temperature in history, exceeding centuries-old records in numerous regions. However, the effects of anthropogenic climate change are not limited to the land as this year also saw the highest average ocean surface temperature ever recorded. In July, many oceanic regions recorded temperatures of up to 38 Celsius. The historic record was broken in April, and the oceans have remained unusually warm for an extended period of time, putting scientists in “uncharted waters.” This week the oceans recorded their highest temperature ever, with the global average sea surface temperature reaching 20.96C, according to data from the European observatory Copernicus. An observatory spokeswoman told AFP specifically that the average daily global sea surface temperature “reached 20.96C on July 30, 2023,” citing the ERA5 database. The previous record, she said, was 20.95C in March 2016. [Leonardo Benassato/Reuters]