India, April 10 -- Last month was the fourth-warmest March globally at 1.48degC above pre-industrial levels, with record-high sea surface temperatures hinting at El Niño by July, Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported Friday.

Copernicus noted the second-warmest global sea surface temperature (SST) on record, at 20.97degC - the highest after 2024's El Niño peak. Daily SSTs are rising toward 2024 records, with many centres forecasting neutral-to-El Niño shift from July.

US NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information reported March surface temperatures 1.31degC above 20th-century average, tying 2024 as second-warmest; only 2025 was warmer by 0.01degC. All top-10 March departures since 1850 occurred post-2...