Parts of the Baltic Sea near Norway and Finland, as well as the North Sea near the United Kingdom, are unusually warm. Satellite data from the European Space Agency (ESA) released on Tuesday shows that the sea temperature off the coast of Norway, among other areas, is sometimes up to 8 degrees higher than the average for this time of year. The sea near the United Kingdom is sometimes about 5 degrees warmer.
These areas specifically refer to the coastal regions off the east coast of the United Kingdom and the northwest coast of Ireland. ESA describes it as an extreme heatwave in the sea, “extraordinarily unusual for this time of year.” According to data from the UK’s Met Office, there is a global trend of rising sea temperatures. The sea surface temperature in both April and May was higher than ever recorded.
ESA warns that ocean heatwaves can lead to massive mortality among fish and other marine animals. Additionally, the warm sea can also contribute to the development of extreme weather conditions, such as cyclones. These cyclones can become more intense and last longer.
Climate scientists expect that more temperature records could be broken in the coming year. This is partly due to the natural phenomenon of El Niño, which leads to the warming of the Pacific Ocean.
The worldwide increase in ocean temperatures surprises ESA chief Craig Donlon. He also anticipates that this will accelerate the melting of sea ice in the Arctic region.
Based on satellite data, the situation along the Dutch coast appears relatively normal for this time of year. However, it’s important to note that the ESA data represents a snapshot, with the temperature measured on June 18th of this year and compared to the average over a 35-year period (between 1981 and 2016).