The temperature of ocean surface waters affects many aspects of weather and climate around the globe. NOAA’s satellites take highly detailed measurements of the ocean each day, using both geostationary and polar-orbiting satellite sensors. This map plots weekly average sea surface temperatures (or SST) from April 2016. Where SST is relatively high, water evaporates easily, adding moisture and heat energy to the atmosphere. Areas where SST is more than 26oC have enough energy to support the development of tropical storms.