‘Profound impacts’: Record ocean heat is intensifying climate disasters, data shows

A container ship steams through the turbulent sea conditions during Storm Aiden past Roches Point in 2020. The extra heat makes hurricanes and typhoons more intense, causes heavier downpours of rain and greater flooding, and results in longer marine heatwaves. File picture: David Creedon / Anzenberger

The world’s oceans absorbed colossal amounts of heat in 2025, setting yet another new record and fuelling more extreme weather, scientists have reported.

Reliable ocean temperature measurements stretch back to the mid-20th century, but it is likely the oceans are at their hottest for at least 1,000 years and heating faster than at any time in the past 2,000 years.