Paris, April 10 (QNA) - The European Copernicus Climate Observatory has announced that ocean temperatures in March approached record highs, indicating a possible return of El Nino, a phenomenon that exacerbates industrially generated climate disruptions.

The observatory sounded the alarm in its monthly report published Friday, noting that after the three hottest years on record, climate scientists fear that a potential return of El Nino in the second half of this year could lead to new record temperatures.

It stated that ocean surface temperatures in March reached 20.97 degrees Celsius (outside the polar regions), just one-tenth of a degree lower than the record high recorded in March 2024, and confirmed that temperatures are expected to continue rising in April.

Records from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) confirm the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) predictions last month that El Nino will return by July, with a 40 percent probability of this climate phenomenon occurring.

The last El Nino event, which took place in 2023 and 2024, made those two years the hottest on record.

This cyclical phenomenon is caused by widespread warming of a portion of the Pacific Ocean, the effects of which are felt globally for several months and can have negative impacts on the planet, including increased storm intensity and rainfall, coral bleaching, and contributing to sea-level rise due to thermal expansion. (QNA)