Climate change driving record ocean temperatures around Europe, study finds

Record ocean temperatures around Europe are being driven by climate change, according to a new study. The World Weather Attribution group found that human-caused global warming intensified this summer's unusually high sea temperatures, adding about 2C in parts of the Mediterranean and expanding the area affected by marine heatwaves.

Catherine Gregory, a climate scientist at the University of Bern, stated that by July, the average temperature of the entire Mediterranean Sea reached over 27C, the highest on record. Buoy readings in the Mediterranean and North Atlantic showed temperatures surpassing 33C. The study analyzed four regions: Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, Atlantic around the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula, and waters surrounding Ireland and western Britain.

Climate change was identified as the main factor behind the extreme ocean temperatures, raising sea temperatures by 2C in the Eastern Mediterranean, 1.4C in the Western Mediterranean, approximately 1.3C around Ireland and western Britain, and around 1.3C in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula. Around 90% of the Bay of Biscay and Iberian coast experienced marine heatwave conditions this year, compared to 40% in a climate without human-caused warming.

Similarly, about 80% of the Western Mediterranean and 70% of the Eastern Mediterranean were affected by marine heatwaves, while around 80% of the area surrounding Ireland and western Britain faced these conditions. The study's authors warned that the consequences of exceptionally warm seas extend beyond warm water for swimmers, affecting marine ecosystems and potentially impacting fishing, aquaculture, and coastal economies.