Marine heatwave pushes up Mediterranean Sea temperature

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ATHENS (Reuters) -Mediterranean Sea temperatures surged in June in a marine heatwave, with a Greek scientist warning some species are under threat in what has likely been a record period.

The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said Copernicus Marine Service data showed sea surface temperatures on June 22 were more than 5 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average.

The most intense warming in what it called a “marine heatwave” was observed in the western Mediterranean basin, including the Balearic Sea, off Spain, and the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the west coast of Italy, it said.

“We have seen temperatures we were expecting in the middle of August being recorded in June and … this is why it is considered a record year for temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea,” Christos Spyrou, associate researcher at the Academy of Athens research centre for atmospheric physics, said.

He said that the average sea temperatures in June were 3-6 degrees higher than the average between 1982-2023, which was used as a reference period.

“We expected these sea temperatures in August,” Spyrou said, adding specific temperatures were not yet available.

“Some species will not be able to reproduce or survive in these conditions, especially in increasing temperatures.”

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the global average, according to Copernicus, making extreme heatwaves occur earlier in the year, and persist into later months.

Several Italian regions banned outdoor work during the hottest hours of the day on Tuesday, France shut scores of schools and Spain confirmed last month as its hottest June on record as a severe heatwave gripped Europe, triggering widespread health alerts.

A 69-year-old Greek resident who gave his name as Christos said he had noticed the warming waters off Athens.

“I have been coming here for 11 years, I believe the sea is a little warmer than other years. Every year it gets warmer, both in winter and in summer,” he said

(Reporting by Reuters;Editing by Alison Williams)