August M
Stronger hurricanes, heavier rainfall and accelerating sea level rise are increasingly battering communities around the world. Scientists say these escalating impacts are closely linked and are becoming more severe as the climate warms.
Coastal regions are among the most exposed, with billions of people facing higher flood risks and more destructive storms.
Extreme weather grows
Warmer ocean waters are giving storms more energy, intensifying hurricanes and typhoons before they make landfall. Scientists say this extra heat also increases the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, leading to heavier downpours and more frequent flooding, reports The Guardian.
Marine heatwaves are lasting longer and spreading wider, damaging coral reefs and disrupting fisheries that many coastal communities rely on. At the same time, rising sea levels are worsening storm surges, pushing water further inland.
Heat beneath the surface
According to The Guardian, scientists say the underlying force behind these impacts is record-breaking ocean heat. More than 90% of the excess heat trapped by human-caused carbon emissions is absorbed by the oceans, making them a critical indicator of long-term global warming.
Almost every year since 2000 has set a new record for ocean heat, with 2025 marking another high point. Researchers believe the oceans are now warmer than at any time in at least the past 1,000 years.
Uneven warming
Ocean heating is not uniform. Particularly warm regions in 2025 included parts of the Atlantic, the North Pacific and the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Scientists are especially alarmed by recent collapses in winter sea ice in Antarctic waters.
The North Atlantic and Mediterranean are also becoming warmer, more acidic and lower in oxygen, changes that researchers say are making marine ecosystems increasingly fragile.
Seas on the rise
One of the major drivers of sea level rise is the expansion of seawater as it warms. This process, combined with melting ice on land, is steadily raising ocean levels and increasing the threat to low-lying cities and islands.
Researchers warn that these changes are not distant projections but ongoing shifts already reshaping coastlines and ecosystems.
Warning from scientists
“Each year the planet is warming – setting a new record has become a broken record,” said Prof John Abraham of the University of St Thomas, who worked on the research.
“Global warming is ocean warming,” he said, adding that future trends depend heavily on human decisions. “The biggest climate uncertainty is what humans decide to do.”
Scientists say cutting emissions remains the only way to slow ocean heating and reduce the growing risks from extreme weather and rising seas.
Sources: The Guardian
