How do El Nino and climate change combine to raise ocean temperatures?

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El Nino and climate change work together to push ocean temperatures higher
Scientists said the world’s oceans recorded their hottest June on record as both El Nino and long-term warming from human greenhouse gas emissions raised sea temperatures. Global average sea surface temperatures in June reached 20.98C, surpassing the previous records set in 2023 and 2024, and the Copernicus Marine Service said the onset of a potentially powerful El Nino could add further heat in 2026 and into the next year.
June record temperatures were already being driven by ongoing ocean warmth
The record followed six months of near unprecedented ocean warmth in 2026, including prolonged marine heatwaves. In the first half of the year, average sea temperatures were 20.04C, slightly below the high set in the same period in 2024, but still at a level that scientists linked to continued elevated heat in the oceans.
El Nino adds extra heat to the atmosphere and shifts global weather patterns
El Nino is marked by unusually warm waters in parts of the Pacific Ocean. Scientists said it releases more heat into the atmosphere and influences global wind, cloud, and weather patterns, which can boost global heat in both the oceans and the atmosphere further in 2026 and into next year.
Long-term warming from fossil-fuel emissions provides the baseline heat
Long-term warming is described as being caused by humanity’s burning of fossil fuels, which increases greenhouse gas emissions. The report said this long-term warming can compound with El Nino, producing a temporary spike in global temperatures on top of the ongoing rise.
The timing with El Nino suggests more records as 2026 progresses
The report noted that land and sea temperatures reached an all-time high in 2024 at the tail end of the last El Nino. With the arrival and onset of an El Nino year, Copernicus officials said 2026 is expected to be among the warmest ever recorded, due to El Nino together with greenhouse-gas warming already present in the climate system.

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How do El Nino and climate change combine to raise ocean temperatures?

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