5.2 Degrees Above Normal... Historic Marine Heatwave Hits the Mediterranean

2026-06-30T21:53:56.878Z

The northwest Mediterranean is witnessing an unprecedented marine heatwave, exceeding normal levels by 5.2 degrees Celsius according to the Spanish Institute of Marine Sciences, in an area extending north of the Balearic Islands and west of Corsica and Sardinia, amid scientific warnings of the phenomenon's link to climate change and the acceleration of Europe's warming.

The Spanish Institute of Marine Sciences has recorded a historic marine heatwave hitting the northwest Mediterranean, with an intensity of 5.2 degrees Celsius above normal levels, the highest record ever registered in this region.

Researcher Justino Martinez from the Institute of Marine Sciences told AFP: "If we calculate the average intensity of this phenomenon, we get 5.2 degrees, and when we perform the same calculation for previous years, it becomes clear that this figure represents a record level."

Martinez explained that this heatwave is "the most intense compared to any previously recorded daily average," referring to the area stretching north of the Spanish Balearic Islands and west of Corsica and Sardinia, noting that the measurement relied on surface temperatures using satellite data.

He pointed out that this record was set after the peak of the atmospheric heatwave shifted towards Eastern Europe, confirming that the phenomenon is largely due to the intense heatwave that recently swept across the European continent.

In the broader scientific context, researchers affirm that the oceans have absorbed about 90% of the excess heat resulting from human activity since the beginning of the industrial era, while Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world.

The rise in atmospheric temperature leads to an increased capacity to retain moisture, resulting in more severe storms and more dangerous floods, extreme weather phenomena exacerbated by climate change caused by human activities.

The warming of the Mediterranean had contributed to fueling a violent storm that led to the worst floods in Spain in decades in October 2024, with most of the over 230 deaths recorded in the Valencia region in eastern Spain.