Tourists often head towards the Mediterranean coast for breathtaking beaches and warm waters, but these pleasant temperatures overshadow the long-term warming trends that promote heavy rain and heavy storms.
This pattern is clear in the data. Since records began in 1979, temperatures in Europe have been rising, with the last three years being much warmer than the previous year.
According to Copernicus Climate Change Services, in 2024, European oceans reached the highest annual average surface temperature (13.73°C) on record (13.73°C).
This is averaged over 0.7°C and warmer than previous records in 2023.
Record highs were observed last year in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black, Norway and Barentz waters.
In the Mediterranean, average temperatures reached a record 28.7°C on August 13, 2024, surpassing the previous record of 28.3°C set in July 2023.
These extremely high temperatures correspond to periods of marine heat waves, unusually high sea temperatures that can last for weeks, months, and even years.
This phenomenon leads to bleaching and mass mortality rates in marine corals, as well as socioeconomic consequences. Ocean heat waves disrupt fisheries, aquaculture and tourism, leading to economic losses.
Also known as “underwater wildfires,” sea water temperatures in the Mediterranean are associated with more severe storms and more extreme rainfall.
Sea surface temperatures play an important role in shaping weather patterns, including marine breezes in the summer months and heavy rains in autumn, according to the Center for Mediterranean Environmental Research.
In 2024, the unusually warm Mediterranean and Black Sea waters of August increased the evaporation of large amounts of water into the atmosphere, causing severe flooding in Central and Eastern Europe in September, and severe flooding in the Valencia region of Spain in October.
