More heat means more energy. More energy means bigger storms
All that energy has got to go somewhere.
A record marine heat wave stretching along the California coast is loading the Pacific with extra energy. The kind of energy that doesn’t just sit there, but eventually shows up as stronger storms, disrupted ecosystems, and a cascade of effects already hitting marine life.
The Pacific Ocean is baking for thousands of miles, from about San Francisco all the way to Guatemala, according to recent sea surface temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In this data set, a massive splotch of dark maroon concentrated from California’s Central Coast into Mexico — and also far west offshore — depicts many spots with temperatures ranking in the highest percentiles.
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Smack in the middle of this unprecedented marine heat, scientists from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego maintain one of the most robust data sets for the sea. They monitor daily temperatures at 10 coastal stations across California, including ones at the Scripps Pier, Newport Beach, Pacific Grove and the Farallon Islands with more than 100 years of data.
Since November 2025, many of these stations have broken daily, all-time record highs for water temperature, according to Scripps. Most readings have ranged upwards of 2 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the high historical temperatures for the time of year, a significant rise for ocean waters. Since Jan. 1, at least 36 days of temperature readings off the Scripps Pier broke daily records.
All that energy has got to go somewhere.