>>/2381/
Nowhere in the article do they mention the obvious. What heats the oceans? The sun. Just prior to the last "blob" we had the weakest solar cycle in the last 100 years, similar to what we are experiencing now.
https://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/the-weakest-solar-cycle-in-100-years/
http://archive.is/C7Dz8