Mediterranean overheating: scientists 'scared' by unprecedentedly early marine heatwave

The Mediterranean is overheating again. On Monday, June 30, the sea reached its warmest surface temperature ever recorded for the month of June, with 26.04°C in satellite observations analyzed by Météo-France. These average values ​​are nearly 2°C higher than the normals (1991-2020), with anomalies climbing to +5°C around the Côte d'Azur and Corsica, the Gulf of Lions, and the Balearic Islands. In the Spanish archipelago, a buoy recorded the unprecedented figure for the month of June: of 30.5°C. Its temperature has since risen further, reaching 30.99°C on Tuesday, July ¹ .

This extremely early heatwave, which mainly affects the western part of the Mediterranean, could, if it lasts and intensifies, put a severe strain on marine ecosystems and fuel extreme weather events.

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