The temperature of the world’s ocean surface has hit an all-time high since satellite records began, leading to marine heatwaves around the globe.

“The current trajectory looks like it’s headed off the charts, smashing previous records,” said Prof Matthew England, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales.

Three years of La Niña conditions across the vast tropical Pacific have helped suppress temperatures and dampened the effect of rising greenhouse gas emissions.

‘Headed off the charts’: world’s ocean surface temperature hits record high | The Guardian