World’s seas hit hottest temperature on record for July

‘EXCEPTIONAL’ HEAT: The average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating the previous high in 2023 The world’s seas were hotter last month than in any July on record, scientists said, as devastating heat struck western Europe.Sea surface temperatures hit record highs for July on the Atlantic coast and western Mediterranean, the EU’s Copernicus climate change service said yesterday, with severe marine heatwaves roiling Europe’s seas. Globally, the average sea surface temperature outside the cold polar regions was the highest on record for the month, beating the previous July record set in 2023. A man fishes at sunset on Cook Islands’ main island of Rarotonga on June 14 last year. Photo: AFP Surface air temperatures around the world last month wer