Hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms may be more powerful than usual this year thanks to a record-breaking spike in global ocean temperatures.

The global average sea surface temperature hit a record high of 21.1°C on 1 April, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US and compiled by the University of Maine.

This beats the previous record of 21°C set in March 2016, and is more than 0.5°C warmer than is typical for this time of year, according to the 30-year average.

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