The waters of the north Pacific have had their warmest summer on record, according to BBC analysis of a mysterious marine heatwave that has confounded climate scientists. Sea surface temperatures between July and September were more than 0.25°C above the previous high of 2022 - a significant increase across an area roughly ten times the size of the Mediterranean.
While climate change contributes to increasing marine heatwaves, scientists are puzzled about why the north Pacific has remained so warm for an extended period. The extra heat, referred to as the 'warm blob,' may lead to a colder start to winter in the UK.
There's definitely something unusual going on in the north Pacific, stated climate scientist Zeke Hausfather from Berkeley Earth. The BBC utilized data from the European Copernicus climate service to analyze temperature averages between July and September across the 'warm blob' region, which spans from Asia's east coast to North America's west coast.
Recent findings indicate that this year is significantly warmer than in recent years, contributing to rising extreme temperatures across the oceans, with increasing evidence that this year's sea surface temperatures have an extremely low likelihood of occurring under typical models.
In addition to the natural variability of weather patterns, changes in shipping fuels and air quality management in major cities, such as in China, may also be amplifying the heating effects in the Pacific.
Impacts of the current heatwave extend beyond the Pacific, likely increasing summer temperatures in countries like Japan and South Korea and exacerbating storm conditions in California. Notably, the unique warmth in the north Pacific could influence weather patterns in Europe, potentially leading to colder conditions during the early winter months.
As weather patterns continue to evolve, researchers are also monitoring the effect of the emerging La Niña phenomenon in the tropical Pacific, which may further alter winter weather forecasts for the UK.
While climate change contributes to increasing marine heatwaves, scientists are puzzled about why the north Pacific has remained so warm for an extended period. The extra heat, referred to as the 'warm blob,' may lead to a colder start to winter in the UK.
There's definitely something unusual going on in the north Pacific, stated climate scientist Zeke Hausfather from Berkeley Earth. The BBC utilized data from the European Copernicus climate service to analyze temperature averages between July and September across the 'warm blob' region, which spans from Asia's east coast to North America's west coast.
Recent findings indicate that this year is significantly warmer than in recent years, contributing to rising extreme temperatures across the oceans, with increasing evidence that this year's sea surface temperatures have an extremely low likelihood of occurring under typical models.
In addition to the natural variability of weather patterns, changes in shipping fuels and air quality management in major cities, such as in China, may also be amplifying the heating effects in the Pacific.
Impacts of the current heatwave extend beyond the Pacific, likely increasing summer temperatures in countries like Japan and South Korea and exacerbating storm conditions in California. Notably, the unique warmth in the north Pacific could influence weather patterns in Europe, potentially leading to colder conditions during the early winter months.
As weather patterns continue to evolve, researchers are also monitoring the effect of the emerging La Niña phenomenon in the tropical Pacific, which may further alter winter weather forecasts for the UK.
