{"id":2536,"date":"2026-05-22T13:39:40","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/05\/22\/why-an-immense-marine-heatwave-off-the-us-west-coast-has-alarmed-scientists\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T13:39:40","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:39:40","slug":"why-an-immense-marine-heatwave-off-the-us-west-coast-has-alarmed-scientists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=2536","title":{"rendered":"Why an immense marine heatwave off the US west coast has alarmed scientists"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1fw0voq\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1j5hrwi\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"fbf167aa-edf0-4b35-a386-19c8ab305be3\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A large sun rises behind Mexico City mountains with layers of orange haze and church domes in the foreground.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/2a96619250a925990431d25ae537feb89e81f44a\/0_0_5568_3712\/master\/5568.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"310\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The sun rises behind mountains at dawn in Mexico City on 28 April 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Yuri Cort\u00e9z\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"fbf167aa-edf0-4b35-a386-19c8ab305be3\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The sun rises behind mountains at dawn in Mexico City on 28 April 2026.<\/span> Photograph: Yuri Cort\u00e9z\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">Why an immense marine heatwave off the US west coast has alarmed scientists<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-cj4vxp\">\n<p>What does a surge in ocean temperatures, compounded with El Ni\u00f1o, bode for the summer?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An enormous marine heatwave off the US west coast is ringing alarm bells among ocean and atmospheric scientists as new data shows its ecological and environmental effects are intensifying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The unusual area of warm water has persisted since peaking in size during September 2025 and still stretches thousands of miles from the California coastline \u2013 more than halfway across the Pacific \u2013 affecting <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/zacklabe.com\/post\/3ml46k327ls22\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a vast triangle-shaped region of oceanic habitats<\/a> from Hawaii to British Columbia and southward to Mexico.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/apr\/04\/high-ocean-temperatures-california-marine-heatwave\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">As recently as early April,<\/a> marine scientists had hoped that the heatwave might diminish and the worst of its effects may be avoided. However, new projections <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/climatologist49.bsky.social\/post\/3mlk3yu5e2k2i\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">released last week<\/a> by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) show it is now expected to expand and strengthen in the months to come.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e4220039-3b36-45f7-b200-ee6106bf883b\" class=\"element element-interactive element--inline element-inline dcr-w422y2\" data-alt=\"Map of the US west coast heat wave\" data-testid=\"interactive-element-Map%20of%20the%20US%20west%20coast%20heat%20wave\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\">\n<div data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-ri3hap\"><\/div>\n<p><a data-name=\"placeholder\" href=\"https:\/\/interactive.guim.co.uk\/uploader\/embed\/2026\/05\/archive-zip\/giv-32554NYuzG42eLtjN\/\" class=\"dcr-1eupayo\">Map of the US west coast heat wave<\/a><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Scientists say the effects may already be far reaching. A surge in the marine heatwave would accompany the formation of El Ni\u00f1o in the tropical Pacific \u2013 resulting in an atmospheric and oceanic m\u00e9langethat could influence everything from record-breaking temperatures on land to disrupted marine food chains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Additional data acquired in recent weeks has left climate scientists gobsmacked and re-examining their assumptions of how the complex interplay between the ocean and the atmosphere could accelerate the effects of human-caused climate crisis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cI\u2019m out of superlatives,\u201d Kim Wood, a University of Arizona atmospheric scientist, wrote <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/drkimwood.bsky.social\/post\/3mj5klhy4lc2r\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">on social media<\/a> last month. Wood was reacting to data showing ocean temperatures in the eastern Pacific <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/drkimwood.bsky.social\/post\/3mjnl2hqjzs2j\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">had recently surged to a level warmer than typically seen during peak hurricane season<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"risks-in-a-hot-summer\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">Risks in a hot summer<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Climate scientists said the persistent marine heatwave has contributed to shockingly extreme temperatures downstream across most of the United States. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.integratedecosystemassessment.noaa.gov\/regions\/california-current\/california-current-marine-heatwave-tracker-blobtracker\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Abnormally warm Pacific waters<\/a> tend to retain atmospheric heat from the warmer summer months and re-release it during relatively cooler winter months \u2013 significantly altering weather patterns.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In March, a remarkable land-based heat wave \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/yaleclimateconnections.org\/2026\/03\/mind-blowing-march-heat-wave-crests-records-melt-from-arizona-to-minnesota\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">what one meteorologist called<\/a> \u201cone of the most astounding global weather events of the century thus far\u201d \u2013 sent late winter temperatures soaring more than 30F above seasonal norms to 88F or warmer in relatively temperate places such as Minnesota, Colorado and Idaho.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/rarohde.bsky.social\/post\/3mjb4sp3hz22q\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a series of posts on social media<\/a>, Robert Rohde, lead scientist for the climate data non-profit Berkeley Earth wrote that the March heatwave \u201cwould have been impossible without a boost from climate change\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rohde said more than one-third of US weather stations \u2013 including hundreds of cities from San Francisco to New York City \u2013 set <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/mar\/19\/march-heatwave-weather-us\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">new all-time temperature records<\/a> for March. A few places, such as Phoenix, even recorded temperatures higher than any previous April temperatures \u2013 a feat with little precedent in modern record-keeping.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"9301c44d-4950-4132-8f71-9cd1f073f501\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person laying in the sun.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d487f38a2088c2c528c401fab62dc896ec681c2b\/0_0_7165_4779\/master\/7165.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.8115840893231\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"9301c44d-4950-4132-8f71-9cd1f073f501\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">People sunbathe at Pier 25 along the Hudson River in New York City on 20 May 2026. <\/span> Photograph: Charly Triballeau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe only other time such a large fraction of stations simultaneously set new monthly records was during the Dust Bowl,\u201d wrote Rohde, referencing a time when comprehensive weather monitoring was still in its infancy and all-time records were easier to set.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">That event capped off the warmest winter on record across the west. As of mid-May, Noaa data shows that what little snow fell had completely melted even at higher elevations across much of Oregon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/california\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">California<\/a> and Colorado.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis year\u2019s peak snowpack will be the new benchmark low for Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico,\u201d according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.drought.gov\/drought-status-updates\/snow-drought-current-conditions-and-impacts-west-2026-05-14\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the latest federal drought status report<\/a>. \u201cThere are no comparable years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The low snowpack is worrying water managers across the west as warm and dry conditions have sparked a rapid intensification of drought in recent weeks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Larry O\u2019Neill, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/oregon\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Oregon<\/a> State University climatologist, described the marine heatwave as \u201cincredibly long lasting\u201d and said he\u2019s worried that the increased ocean temperatures could bring higher humidity onshore, kicking off dry thunderstorms across California and the Pacific north-west. Given the worsening drought, those thunderstorms may act to spark wildfires rather than bring beneficial rain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThere\u2019s real concern right now that even if this marine heatwave didn\u2019t persist, we\u2019re heading into a bad wildfire season with poor water supply conditions,\u201d said O\u2019Neill. \u201cOur summer is going to be much warmer than normal.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"concerns-for-marine-life-and-ecosystems\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">Concerns for marine life and ecosystems<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Beyond summer heat and drought, scientists also expressed alarm about the heatwave\u2019s effects on vast networks of marine life such as whales, seabirds and seals and the food webs they depend on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In 2015, a similarly strong and long-lived marine heatwave <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/feature-story\/looking-back-blob-record-warming-drives-unprecedented-ocean-change\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">known as \u201cthe Blob\u201d<\/a> kicked off a surge of environmental and ecological effects up and down the Pacific coast, including in Oregon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cBack in 2015, we had drought that year and poor ocean conditions,\u201d O\u2019Neill said. \u201cWhatever salmon went out to the ocean and then came back to spawn, they were returning to rivers that were running really low and really warm. We had really big increased pre-spawn mortality and a lot fewer salmon coming back over the following years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">This time, O\u2019Neill is especially concerned with a similarly devastating impact of the marine heat wave on salmon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis is going to be a big hit on our fisheries for a couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"02838b15-b483-4a57-9ff3-ed8c8d2fdb15\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A seal pup behind a gate.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/065fd8d84f1efdbab5d4c85ea7c3b9471983110a\/0_0_7065_4715\/master\/7065.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.98159943382876\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"02838b15-b483-4a57-9ff3-ed8c8d2fdb15\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-9ktzqp\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">An elephant seal pup, peers through a gate at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, on 2 April 2019. <\/span> Photograph: The Washington Post\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Elizabeth Phillips, a research scientist with Noaa Fisheries, is preparing for the annual coast-wide offshore ecosystem assessment that will take place between June and September.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThe last six months have been really concerning,\u201d said Phillips. \u201cAs a scientist, I\u2019m really curious to know what the ecosystem impacts are going to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Already, concern is growing that species are shifting their behaviors in profound ways. A few weeks ago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/british-columbia\/researchers-ping-great-white-shark-vancouver-island-9.7123296\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">scientists tracked<\/a> the first-ever evidence of a great white shark in British Columbia waters. Subtropical species \u2013 from plankton to pelicans to great whites \u2013 are shifting their range further north and closer to shore in search of cooler water and more food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Starving sea birds washing ashore are among the first signs that something\u2019s going wrong with the ocean. During the 2015 Blob event, scientists estimate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2020\/jan\/16\/hot-blob-ocean-seabirds-killed-new-zealand-north-america\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">more than a million seabirds died<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe often monitor seabird populations to better understand what\u2019s going on in the ocean,\u201d said Don Lyons, a conservation biologist and director of the National Audubon Society\u2019s Seabird Institute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">California brown pelicans are themselves an early warning species of sea birds, and Lyons said this year many of them left their nesting grounds in Mexico more than two months early. The birds feed on sardines, anchovies and other small fish that may be temporarily moving farther north to find cooler waters \u2013 and early evidence is that many abandoned their nests due to lack of food.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe\u2019ve seen this kind of poor success at other times. When we have an El Ni\u00f1o, that\u2019s often associated with nesting failures of many species of seabirds on the west coast, including brown pelicans,\u201d said Lyons. \u201cThis year, it was a little bit different in that the early start [to migration] was striking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">As the summer progresses, scientists such as O\u2019Neill and Phillips are ready with increased understanding of how intense marine heatwaves might progress and have improved monitoring methods to track them as they develop. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omao.noaa.gov\/marine-operations\/ships\/reuben-lasker\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">RV Reuben Lasker<\/a>, the Noaa survey vessel Phillips will embark on, uses advanced sonar to map out the abundance of integral parts of the marine ecosystem, including organisms as small as krill and plankton.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe saw a significant change in the amount of krill that were out on the west coast during the Blob years, 2014 to 2016,\u201d said Phillips, which had a major effect on animals such as seabirds, mammals and salmon that depend on krill. \u201cIf there is another drop in krill this year, then I would anticipate there\u2019s probably going to be a lot of those same impacts to the rest of the food web.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Phillips said that, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/18\/trump-cuts-ai-weather-prediction-forecasts\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">unlike other parts of N<\/a>oaa which have experienced sharp budget cuts, her research activities have not been adversely affected by the Trump administration\u2019s reprioritizations of resources among federal science staff. The consistent funding stream has helped her team prepare for the potential lingering effects of the marine heatwave.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-interplay-with-el-nino\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">The interplay with El Ni\u00f1o<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Meanwhile, as the effects of the current marine heatwave play out, there\u2019s now <a href=\"https:\/\/cpc.ncep.noaa.gov\/products\/analysis_monitoring\/enso\/roni\/strengths\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a greater than two in three chance<\/a> of either a \u2018strong\u2019 or \u2018extreme\u2019 El Ni\u00f1o later this year. El Ni\u00f1o is the warm phase of the El Ni\u00f1o-Southern Oscillation, a periodic natural warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean that also shifts weather patterns for half the planet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Emerging research has revealed that the rapid-fire combination of both marine heatwaves and El Ni\u00f1o are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2023\/may\/18\/global-heating-el-nino-la-nina-weather-climate-pattern-more-frequent-extreme\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a symptom of human-caused climate crisis<\/a>. In 2015, the Blob also merged with a strong El Ni\u00f1o <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2016\/mar\/16\/drought-high-temperatures-el-nino-36m-people-africa-hunger\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">with catastrophic effects<\/a> for millions of people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cOne big problem is that these events are happening seemingly more frequently and more intensely,\u201d said Hilary Hayford, a marine ecologist with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe\u2019re trying to plan for these conservation or restoration actions, and we don\u2019t have the tools to overcome these problems,\u201d said Hayford. \u201cA hope is to have time in between these events for systems to recover. We\u2019re only just now starting to see recovery of sea stars and bull kelp and other species that really suffered cascading effects of the last one.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/west-coast\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">West Coast<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/extreme-heat\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Extreme heat<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/california\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">California<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/oregon\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Oregon<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/hawaii\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Hawaii<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/extreme-weather\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Extreme weather<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/environment\/marine-life\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Marine life<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/features\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">features<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Why%20an%20immense%20marine%20heatwave%20off%20the%20US%20west%20coast%20has%20alarmed%20scientists&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/marine-heatwave-west-coast?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Fmay%2F22%2Fmarine-heatwave-west-coast&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/may\/22\/marine-heatwave-west-coast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-jwg3xc\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The sun rises behind mountains at dawn in Mexico City on 28 April 2026. Photograph: Yuri Cort\u00e9z\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":2538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}