Climate change drove record heat in Europe's seas, scientists say
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Human-caused climate change was the main driver of record-breaking sea temperatures around Europe, scientists said on Wednesday. The Mediterranean averaged 27°C in July, the highest for any July on record, while a buoy near Mallorca hit 33°C in early August. The World Weather Attribution group found peak temperatures in the Mediterranean and Bay of Biscay would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming.
Key Facts
- The Mediterranean averaged 27°C in July, the highest for any July on record.
- Human-caused climate change added about 2°C of warming to the Mediterranean and 1.4°C to Western European seas.
- About 90% of the Bay of Biscay and 80% of the western Mediterranean experienced marine heatwave conditions this year.
- Without global warming, the share of those areas experiencing marine heatwaves would have been closer to 40%.
- In the Celtic Sea, the most extreme temperatures recorded would have been expected only about once a century without human-caused climate change.
Record Sea Temperatures
Last month, the average temperature in the Mediterranean was 27°C, the highest for any July on record. An offshore buoy near Mallorca recorded 33°C in early August. Human-caused climate change has added about 2°C of warming to the Mediterranean and around 1.4°C to Western European seas, according to the World Weather Attribution group. Peak sea temperatures recorded this year in the eastern and western Mediterranean and along the Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, the analysis found.
Ecosystem and Weather Impacts
Hotter seas increase humidity and overnight temperatures in coastal areas and can help fuel intense storms later in the year. Sea temperature spikes can cause mass die-offs of species such as corals and disrupt food supplies for birds and mammals, with knock-on effects through food chains. John Bruno, a marine ecologist at the University of North Carolina, said some species were moving north to seek cooler waters, but not all could adapt. Claire Bergin, a climate scientist at Maynooth University, said the warming has the potential to completely reshape ecosystems that coastal communities rely on for food and income, and drive damaging extreme weather on land too.
Attribution Analysis
The World Weather Attribution group uses peer-reviewed methods to assess global warming's role in extreme weather events. About 90% of the Bay of Biscay and 80% of the western Mediterranean have experienced marine heatwave conditions this year, according to the WWA analysis. Without global warming, that figure would have been closer to 40%. In the Celtic Sea, off Britain and Ireland, the most extreme temperatures recorded would have been expected only about once a century in a world without human-caused climate change.
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Climate change drove record heat in Europe's seas, scientists say
