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Date Published: 31/05/2024

The Mediterranean Sea begins to boil as Spanish temperatures sizzle

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The so-called ‘Mediterranean cauldron’ is heating up much quicker this year thanks to global warming

The Mediterranean Sea begins to boil as Spanish temperatures sizzle

As spring prepares to melt into summer, scientists are becoming increasingly worried about the waters surrounding Spain. Warmer-than-ever temperatures are threatening marine ecosystems and triggering scorching weather patterns as the climate crisis looms large.

This is strikingly evident when it comes to the seas. Globally, the oceans hit an incredible 21.1ºC in January this year, a value “never before reached in the waters of the earth.”

Here in Spain, the Balearic Sea had reached unusually high temperatures by the middle of May, which leads meteorologists to believe that the so-called ‘Mediterranean cauldron’ has begun to boil ahead of time.

“In recent weeks, the water temperature of the Balearic Sea has risen rapidly, with areas near Mallorca in which values of up to 22ºC have been recorded,” the experts at Meteored explained.

According to data from the Institut Català de Recerca per a la Governança del Mar and the Centre for Environmental Studies of the Mediterranean (CEAM), the sea surface temperature is above the usual average in the "Balearic Islands, points on the central Catalan coast and Alicante". In fact, they emphasise, temperatures are between 1 and 3 degrees above where they should be.

This means that refreshing dips are very definitely out, since the water off the south coast of the Balearics has already reached a bath-like 22ºC; in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the mercury is tipping 21ºC.

Why are rising sea temperatures a problem?

Higher ocean temperatures disrupt habitats and negatively affect marine organisms. Warmer waters result in decreased oxygen levels and nutrient availability, affecting phytoplankton populations, essential food sources for many aquatic species, as has been seen in the Mar Menor over the years.

For us humans, the major negative impact is with the weather. Warmer ocean surfaces provide energy for storms, enhancing their intensity and frequency and creating more flood risks in coastal areas.

The experts also explain that if the sea temperatures increase more than usual, this will lead to more tropical and torrid nights, as has already happened in large parts of southern Spain in the last few days.

Join our Spain Weather Watch Facebook group for regular weather and climate change updates

Image: Meteored

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