The Mediterranean will bear the brunt of global warming A new study examines the mechanisms underlying the Mediterranean region’s particular sensitivity to climate change. The Mediterranean is one of the hotspots that will suffer first from global warming.
A real treat for tourists, but a disaster for corals and other marine life: the Mediterranean Sea is in the middle of a heatwave. With the extreme heat of the Middle East and North Africa, the water is currently overheating almost everywhere. The Greek website Climate Book has published an eloquent map showing the deviation of water surface temperatures from the average. In mid-July, values ranged between 29 and 31°C over almost the entire surface of the basin, i.e. +2 to +6°C higher than normal for the month.
The only exception is the French coast, where Mediterranean water temperatures range from 22 to 24°C, and from 25 to 27°C in eastern Corsica. Although the French coasts are not as extreme as those of Turkey, Italy and Israel, temperatures are still above seasonal averages on the Côte d’Azur and Corsica. On the other hand, strong northerly winds in parts of the Gulf of Lion pushed temperatures below seasonal averages, at just 20 to 21°C
Source: Futura
