Ocean temperatures rise 20C (6.7C) off the coast of California

 20 C is 6.7 degrees Celsius

Ocean temperatures have soared lately largely because the massive high pressure system that produced the heatwave extinguished the northwest winds that were blowing warm surface waters away from the coast, allowing colder, deeper water to rise.

The phenomenon is known as upwelling

Sea surface temperatures at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla Shores hit 77.2 degrees on Thursday, the highest reading ever recorded at that site on August 20 and a figure that was almost 20 points higher than it was three weeks ago.

“We’ve gone from a record daily low of about 60 up to 77 and it could go higher,” said Alex Tardy, a forecaster for the National Weather Service. “We usually don’t see fluctuations like that.”

The average temperature at the pier this time of year is in the 70 to 71-degree range, the weather service said.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/weather/story/2020-08-20/san-diego-ocean-waters-jump-nearly-20-degrees-hitting-77-in-la-jolla?fbclid=IwAR2QnbhvmfMZussonLdTf14zGhMtVFbah3UqBD9Yg_WIXcjuaOlkIditOIE