Multiple media outlets have reported that, while the Earth is currently under an El Niño Watch, a recent surge in oceanic temperatures may be an unprecedented event separate from the weather pattern. El Niño is a phenomenon that is associated with the Pacific Ocean’s temperatures rising, with scientists preparing to track the effects for the next few years. However, since March, the global average ocean sea surface temperature has risen nearly two-tenths of a degree Celsius (nearly fourth-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit), a major shift.

Scientists are debating whether this is a separate phenomenon. Some believe the rise is due to climate change compounding the effects of the El Niño effect, especially since this change originated off the coasts of Peru and Ecuador, where the El Niño cycle’s changes were first observed for many years before 1980. However, others contend there are other heat waves currently occurring that do not match older El Niño patterns, demonstrating this change’s separate nature. WaterISAC previously reported in April that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) Climate Prediction Center has issued an El Niño Watch, which is “issued when conditions are favorable for the development of El Niño or La Niña conditions within the next six months.” Read more at AP.