![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\"){kind=logo}
\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n
Tourists often head to the Mediterranean coast for its breathtaking beaches and warm sea, but these enjoyable temperatures mask a long-term warming trend that fuels torrential rains and intense storms.<\/p>\n
This pattern is clear in the data: since records began in 1979, the temperature of Europe\u2019s seas has been rising, and the past three years have been significantly warmer than any previous year on record.<\/p>\n
In 2024, Europe\u2019s seas hit their highest annual average surface temperature on record (13.73\u00b0C), according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service<\/a>.<\/p>\n That is almost 0.7\u00b0C above average and 0.06\u00b0C warmer than the previous record set in 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n Last year, record highs were observed in the central North Atlantic, Mediterranean, Black, Norwegian, and Barents Seas.<\/p>\n In the Mediterranean Sea, average temperatures reached a record 28.7\u00b0C on 13 August 2024, which surpassed the previous record of 28.3\u00b0C set in July 2023.<\/p>\n These extremely high temperatures correspond to marine heatwaves, periods of unusually high sea temperatures that can last weeks, months or even years.<\/p>\n The phenomenon<\/a> leads to coral bleaching and mass mortality of ocean species, as well as socio-economic consequences. Marine heatwaves disrupt fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism, leading to financial losses.<\/p>\n