© Eugene Zhyvchik via Unsplash
A buoy near Sa Dragonera, west of the Spanish island of Mallorca, recorded a sea surface temperature of 33.2 °C, possibly the highest ever measured in the open Mediterranean Sea. This was reported by Aemet, the Spanish meteorological service, which recorded the temperature at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
In the Spanish newspaper El País, climatologist, meteorologist, and researcher Samuel Biener called the figure “truly incredible.” “The reading at Dragonera is, a priori, the highest since measurements began in the open waters of the Spanish Mediterranean and likely in the entire western Mediterranean,” the expert said. The water temperature is thus the highest ever recorded in the waters around Spain, Italy, and France, and even in Morocco and Algeria.
The measurement was taken about three meters below the surface and is said to exceed the previous record of 31.8 °C, which was recorded at the same location in 2024. “We’re talking about a difference of more than one degree, which is a huge difference when it comes to seawater temperatures,” says Biener. “If we look at the average temperature from 1982 to the present—namely 25°—we’re dealing with a deviation of 8°, a very significant deviation.”
Experts say the Mediterranean Sea is warming rapidly, with temperatures now well above historical averages and marine heatwaves becoming increasingly prolonged. The warmer sea leads to warmer nights along the coast, intensifies extreme storms, and may provide more energy for future torrential rains when atmospheric conditions are favorable.
Marine ecosystems are also suffering, with mass die-offs among seagrass, fish, and shellfish, among other impacts. Warmer water allows invasive tropical species to spread. Global warming is also leading to changes in tourism patterns: tourists are shifting their holidays from the hottest summer months to spring and fall.
Illustration: © Eugene Zhyvchik via Unsplash