Climate change is driving record heat in Europe's seas, scientists say
Researchers said climate change added about 2°C of warming to the Mediterranean and made 90% of the Bay of Biscay and western Mediterranean heatwave-prone.
- Scientists from World Weather Attribution found that human-caused climate change was the primary driver of record-breaking sea temperatures around Europe, warning of severe consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
- Human-Caused climate change added about 2 C to the Mediterranean and around 1.4 C to Western European seas, with about 90% of the Bay of Biscay and 80% of the western Mediterranean experiencing marine heatwave conditions this year.
- Peak sea temperatures in the Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay, and Iberian coast would be "virtually impossible" without climate change; last month the Mediterranean averaged 27 C, while an offshore buoy near Mallorca recorded 33 C in early August.
- Marine ecologist John Bruno of the University of North Carolina warned that "we are rapidly approaching the absolute biological limits of adaptation for many species" as rising temperatures disrupt critical food chains.
- Climate scientist Claire Bergin of Maynooth University warned that reshaped ecosystems threaten food and income for coastal communities, while hotter seas increase humidity and overnight temperatures, potentially fueling intense storms on land later in the year.
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50 Articles
Climate change is driving record heat in Europe's seas, scientists say
Human-caused climate change was the main driver of recent record-breaking sea temperatures around Europe, scientists said on Wednesday, warning of severe consequences for marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
The European sea usually reserves its highest temperatures for August or September. But this year, at the end of July, it reached its highest value since the daily satellite records began, in 1982. In the western Mediterranean the same happened. A new analysis shows that that previously extraordinary heat is being incorporated into the usual climate. The warming caused by human beings has added about 1.4 °C to the maximum in front of the peninsu…
A new study of the World Weather Attribution (WWA) scientific network reveals that the record sea surface temperatures in European waters during this summer are mainly due to climate change, which has added two more degrees to the waters of the Mediterranean, as collected by Servimedia. This summer there have been sea heat waves from Ireland to the Mediterranean, with some regions experiencing sea surface temperatures above six degrees above nor…
"From the Atlantic to the coast of Ireland to the Mediterranean, the European seas are experiencing an alarming rise in their temperatures," says Thomas Frölicher of the University of Bern, one of the authors.
Europe is experiencing exceptionally warm seas on its coasts due to climate change. The Mediterranean and Atlantic in particular show strong temperature increases that affect ecosystems and weather.
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