Sea surface temperatures at all-time high after record warm February: EU

Last month was the warmest February on record globally, with sea surface temperatures also at unprecedented levels, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said March 6.

February was the ninth month in a row that was the warmest on record for the respective month of the year, with the global average temperature for the past 12 months some 1.56 degrees Celsius above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average levels, data from the EU's climate monitor showed.

"February joins the long streak of records of the last few months. As remarkable as this might appear, it is not really surprising as the continuous warming of the climate system inevitably leads to new temperature extremes," Copernicus Climate Change Service Carlo Buontempo said.

"The climate responds to the actual concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere so, unless we manage to stabilize those, we will inevitably face new global temperature records and their consequences."

The month was 1.77 C warmer than an estimate of the February average for 1850-1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period.

Warmer seas

Global sea surface temperatures -- over the global extrapolar ocean, from 60 degrees south to 60 degrees north -- were at a record high 21.06 C in February, according to EU data.

Typically, global average daily sea surface temperatures reach their highest level for the calendar year in March before falling again before a slight increase in July and August.

Besides warmer temperature, Europe saw a wet February, especially from the Iberian Peninsula to western Russia, and over the UK and Ireland, southern Scandinavia, and the Alps.

Drier-than-average conditions were observed across North America, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, south central Asia, most of southern Africa, South America, Australia and most of the Mediterranean countries.

That came after 2023 saw the warmest temperatures and highest emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Global energy-related CO2 emissions rose to a record high 37.4 gigatonCO2e in 2023, an increase of 410 million mtCO2e from 2022, according to International Energy Agency data.

Climate change caused by a surge in greenhouse gas emissions has been increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, all of which have a measurable impact on air quality, human health and the environment.

Extreme weather events -- heatwaves, floods, droughts and wildfires -- have been on the rise in the past few years.