'El Nino causing record ocean, land heat'

Ocean and land temperatures continued their record-breaking spree in October. Sea surface and land temperatures have been at record highs for seven and five months respectively, data maintained by University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer shows.

- Jayashree Nandi

Average sea surface temperatures were significantly high in October compared to the 1982-2011 mean and higher than any year since 1981 as per Climate Reanalyzer's data. The trend started in April, a result of an intensifying El Nino in addition to global warming. Copernicus Marine's data said that as of 20 October, sea surface temperature anomalies reached peaks of +3 to +5°C at various locations in the Mediterranean Sea.

This September was the warmest one in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA's) 174-year global climate record, NOAA said in a statement on October 13. September's temperature propelled 2023 into the lead as the warmest year-to-date on record, according to scientists at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). There was no let up in October. Climate Reanalyzer's data indicated that air temperature was also higher than global average temperatures recorded since 1981. But, the ocean temperature anomalies were far higher than those recorded for air temperatures indicating that oceans are absorbing additional heat.