Photo: ReutersMore heat accumulated in the ocean in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began, an internationally recognised climate scientist from New Zealand, Dr Kevin Trenberth, says. Heat in the upper 2km of the ocean rose by an estimated 23 zettajoules, according to a study co-authored by Trenberth. That is the equivalent of detonating hundreds of millions of Hiroshima atomic bombs — or roughly 200 times global electrical energy consumption in 2023. The extra heat drives global sea-level rise and intensifies extreme weather by increasing heat and moisture in the atmosphere.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 16, 2026 14:48 UTC