Last month’s average global ocean surface temperature was the hottest ever recorded in the month of July, fueled in part by uniquely intense, fossil fuel-driven El Niño conditions that have wreaked deadly havoc around the world this summer. Average global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were 20.96°C last month, surpassing the July 2023 record of 20.89°C. “Our leaders’ response has to be swifter and stronger than El Niño,” Anne Jellema, executive director of the environmental group 350.org, said Monday. Scientists have characterized this year’s El Niño, which officially began on June 11, as historically strong and dangerous, earning it the informal “Super El Niño” label. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned in remarks to reporters last month that El Niño is no longer just “on our doorstep.”