Global warming and climate change are becoming more intense year after year. The rise in global average temperatures, heat waves and the increase in sea temperature are consequences that are being suffered with increasing intensity and frequency. Sea surface temperatures continue to deviate from the average for this time of year. Some parts of Western Mediterranean are already 5ºC above normal and forecasts are still not back to normal.
In this article we are going to tell you what the consequences of the high temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea are and why they are rising so much.
warming of the seas
The heat wave that has hit the Peninsula in recent times is just one of many very warm air masses that have been passing through the region. Some of these air masses were generated by the intense heating of the sun and the lack of movement of the wind, while others came from the subtropics, such as the Sahara. This enormous amount of warm air has broken many temperature records in different regions of the Peninsula, and has also broken new records in surface stations.
Before this very warm air entered, we had the passage of other anomalous air masses, such as in June, with a heat wave, and in May, with powerful warm currents. The Mediterranean, the Bay of Biscay and parts of the Atlantic Ocean are also experiencing temperature anomalies. Although not as hot as the last example, these temperatures are still very unusual for the time of year and have become very important. Western Mediterranean areas present temperatures 5 degrees higher than normal for the second half of July.
Consequences of the high temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea has been experiencing high temperatures, along with other anomalies. These will not change in the near future, based on our current understanding. The heat will stay there for at least the next week, according to the ECMWF prediction. The reason is that there will be very little movement of warm air and humidity will be low at the surface, limiting evaporative cooling. That the Mediterranean has such extreme temperatures is not something we have seen before, and consequences will be seen in the near future. Some of these consequences are already beginning to manifest.
In the areas of the sea near the coast or in the Balearic Islands there can be very low temperatures. This can influence the pattern of the breeze, increase the humidity of the air near the ocean, and have a significant impact on coastal communities. Nor is the energy that can be produced by a sea at that temperature often overlooked. With the surface of the water over 28 degrees Celsius and such a thick layer, the sea can host powerful convective systems, creating complex storm patterns.
These conditions can generate strong storms in coastal areas. Normally these temperatures tend to start with a warming of the seas. However, the fact that the Mediterranean Sea has high temperatures does not mean that these types of storms will happen. The troposphere must meet all the necessary conditions for these phenomena to occur.
Abnormal temperatures for these times
The Mediterranean Sea is having temperatures very similar to those of the Caribbean. Unlike what normally happens when you are introduced into the sea water, now it does not give any kind of impression at all. In some sectors of the Balearic Sea the temperature It is almost 30 degrees, while on other beaches such as those in the southern Mediterranean it is around 28 degrees. Normally these maximum temperatures are reached in the month of August or the beginning of September when all the heat has already accumulated during the summer. However, the presence of high temperatures, weak winds and the high rate of sunshine this month has caused us to reach such high temperature values.
Unless there are some kind of episodes of atmospheric instability, west wind or something more intense that can cause the water to be renewed and replaced by colder water from the bottom, these temperatures still have enough room to rise. We are already noticing the direct consequences of the high temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea. The breezes of the winds are weaker and also hardly cool. This is because they are loaded with heat and humidity and significantly increase the feeling of embarrassment.
Between the high temperatures, the urban heat island effect and a warm sea, in some coastal cities it practically does not go below 20 degrees at night. This causes suffocating nights with very high humidity and minimum temperatures between 23-25 degrees. It is impossible to know if all this is going to translate into torrential rains during the fall season. We already know that the sea by itself is not capable of generating intense rains, since ideal conditions are needed for it.
Torrential rains
We know that a warm sea will prolong the calendar of torrential rains, something that has already been seen in recent years with extreme weather events in winter or spring. This reality is already something to which we must adapt. Climate change is becoming more pronounced and its effects more powerful. Keep in mind that governments are trying to find ways to adapt to change rather than prevent it. It is known that it is almost too late to stop the effects of climate change. Even if we stopped all emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere now, The effects of climate change will continue to affect the planet.
As you can see, quite hot periods await us to which we do not know how to adapt and what repercussions it may have, not only at an environmental level, but also at a social and health level. I hope that with this information you can learn more about the consequences of the high temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea.