This week the Mediterranean Sea is hit by an unprecedented heat wave, with surface temperatures that can rise to almost 30 ° C. According to weather models, the water temperature is well on its way to break the historical record of 2003. In some places the seawater can even reach 30 ° C; In that case, a shady terrace offers more cooling than a dip in the Mediterranean Sea.
Current values are higher than 2003
The previous record dates from 2003, but the current values are much higher than then, scientists warn. They predict that the effects of the “exceptional intensity and unprecedented duration” of this marine heat will persist throughout the summer and will have permanent consequences for the climate and the European coasts, according to the regional newspaper Nice Matin.
Frequency of heat waves at sea is increasing
It shows a disturbing trend: the frequency of heat waves at sea is increasing sharply as a result of global warming. According to Mercator Ocean International, a subsidiary of the Copernicus service of the European Union, July 2025 had a remarkably intense heat wave at sea, Le Parisien reported. The average temperature of the Mediterranean Sea reached 26.7 ° C, which had consequences for 95 % of the water surface. In certain areas the temperature of the seawater exceeded 30 ° C; More than 5 ° C above normal seasonal values.
At the beginning of August, this disturbing trend continued, especially in the west of the Mediterranean Sea, where peaks of 30 ° C were observed in front of the coast of the French Côte d’Azur and the Spanish Balearic Islands, six degrees above the historic average.
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Temperature Dutch North Sea
The water temperatures on the Dutch North Sea are currently higher than normal. According to information from the SURF-Forecast website, which supplies global surf forecast and reports, the water temperature at the Scheveningen Pier on 12 August 19.9 ° C is. That is 1.7 ° C warmer than normal for this time of the year.