The Pacific breaks a historic record: sea temperatures exceed 30°C for the first time in the Niño 3.4 region

The surface of the tropical Pacific reached 30.06°C on 5 October, a temperature never previously recorded in the Niño 3.4 region. The record comes as El Niño continues to strengthen and approaches its possible peak.

Sea surface temperatures have once again surprised in the equatorial Pacific. On 5 October, the Niño 3.4 region reached a preliminary value of 30.06°C, equivalent to around 30.057°C in the higher-precision record, marking the first time this area has exceeded the 30°C threshold since comparable records began.

The figure was published using NOAA OISST data processed by Climate Reanalyzer and was quickly highlighted by meteorologists and climate specialists.

The magnitude of the record becomes even more striking when compared with the previous record: 29.82°C, reached on 17th November 2015, during the historic 2015–2016 El Niño event.

An exceptionally warm Pacific

The Niño 3.4 region is one of the main areas used to monitor the development of El Niño. It is located in the central tropical Pacific, between approximately 5°N and 5°S and 170°W–120°W.

The value recorded on 5th October not only establishes a new absolute maximum. It also shows an extraordinary anomaly for early October: the temperature was around 3.4°C above the …….