Elevated sea temperatures that fuelled record rainfall in Ireland are still far above normal 

The increased energy in warmer seas contributes to the formation of more frequent and more powerful storms such as those that lashed Irish coastal counties in recent years. File picture: Gareth Fuller/PA

Elevated global sea temperatures that helped fuel Ireland's record rainfall in the past year are still way above the norm, experts have said.

The El Niño weather event that has led tp a global spike in air temperatures may be coming to a close, but average global sea surface temperatures remain “exceptionally high”, according to the World Meteorological Organization.