India, April 10 -- The globe experienced its fourth-warmest March - 1.48 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average (1850-1900) - in 2026, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

The planet recorded its second-warmest sea surface temperature even as land temperatures were also factored in. This warmer-than-average sea water observation could pave the way for "likely transition toward El Niño conditions", the weather observation body noted.

El Nino is the warmer phase of a recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific Ocean called the El Nino-Southern Oscillation.

According to Carlo Buontempo, director at C3S, just the month of March reported "1.48degC above pre-industrial levels, the lowest Arctic sea i...