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Marine Heatwaves Shatter Records in North Atlantic and South-West Pacific

The World Meteorological Organization warns that without rapid emissions cuts, marine heatwave frequency will only worsen over the coming decades.

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A school of fish swim above a finger coral colony as it grows on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Cairns, Australia October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson//File Photo
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Overview

  • The WMO reports that in 2024 nearly 40 million km² of South-West Pacific waters experienced marine heatwave conditions—an area five times the size of Australia.
  • Scientists found that record weak winds and increased solar radiation in summer 2023 heated North Atlantic surface waters as much as two decades of typical climate-driven warming.
  • Persistent marine heatwaves have triggered mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and caused extensive fish kills in Australian waters.
  • Sea levels in the South-West Pacific rose by almost 4 mm per year in 2024, outpacing the global average and putting low-lying island nations at greater risk of displacement.
  • WMO experts caution that without rapid cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves and related extreme weather events will intensify over coming decades.