Dhaka, July 1 -- Global sea surface temperatures have reached record highs for this time of year, with European Union climate monitors warning the trend could fuel sea level rises and more extreme weather on land.

New data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service and Copernicus Marine Service on Tuesday put the global average sea surface temperature at 21 degrees Celsius on Jun 21.

That beat the previous records of 20.83 degrees Celsius in 2023 and 20.86 degrees Celsius in 2024, according to the monitoring agencies.

Scientists said the latest reading marked another sign that the world's oceans are moving into what they described as "uncharted territory".

The monitors said the onset of El Niño in the equa...