Spain’s Mediterranean Water Temperatures Soar, Jellyfish Warnings Grow

The Mediterranean Sea is boiling for illustration ne'er before, pinch Spanish buoys successful Mallorca and Menorca signaling h2o temperatures supra 30 °C successful mid-August 2025. Scientists pass this marine heatwave is among nan strongest connected record, threatening marine life, fuelling vulnerable jellyfish blooms on celebrated beaches, and loading nan dice for convulsive late-summer storms. From Mallorca to Malaga and Valencia, nan occidental Mediterranean has turned into bathwater, raising siren for holidaymakers, fishermen and ambiance experts alike.

Mediterranean “bathwater”: Spanish buoys apical 30 °C arsenic a caller marine heatwave grips nan sea.

Two charismatic water buoys successful Spain’s Balearic Islands person conscionable logged Caribbean-like readings: 30.86 °C astatine Dragonera (west of Mallorca) and 31.24 °C astatine Mao/Mahon (east of Menorca), some measured connected August 13, astatine astir 3 metres beneath nan surface. Those figures corroborate a renewed marine heatwave successful nan Mediterranean, pinch temperatures moving good supra normal crossed ample swathes of nan basin.

Analyses from biology monitoring centres show wide lukewarm anomalies, pinch nan occidental Mediterranean among nan hottest zones. July already delivered record-breaking marine heatwave intensity, and August has truthful acold kept nan thermometer adjacent nan apical of nan scale.

Where it’s warmest correct now

Beyond nan Balearic hotspots, Spain’s buoy web paints a clear picture. Recent mid-August oversea temperatures include:

• Tarragona: 28.91 °C
• Cabo de Palos: 27.55 °C
• Malaga: 27.20 °C
• Cabo de Gata: 26.76 °C
• Cabo de Begur: 26.48 °C

And aft weeks of silence, nan Valencia buoy is backmost online, rubbing almost 29 °C connected August 17, which is its highest of nan twelvemonth truthful far.

What’s driving higher oversea temperatures?

A stubborn high-pressure ridge has trim disconnected nan cooling Tramontana winds that concisely knocked temperatures backmost successful precocious July. With clear skies, ray winds and basking aerial parked complete nan region, power has been pouring into nan precocious layers of nan sea. That is precisely nan look that turns a lukewarm Mediterranean into full-blown marine heatwave territory.

How different is 30 °C+ h2o somesthesia successful Spain?

Thirty-degree h2o is not unheard of successful nan Med astatine nan tallness of summer, but having aggregate buoys prolong those levels crossed days and weeks is rare. The Mediterranean is warming faster than nan world water average, and heatwaves for illustration this are becoming longer, stronger and much frequent.

The short-term outlook

Forecast models show nan marine heatwave sticking around done this week, especially successful nan occidental basin, earlier a gradual cool-down arsenic precocious summertime storms and stronger winds return. Translation: still very lukewarm now, pinch only a slow retreat backmost towards “normal”.

Why you should attraction (beyond basking swims)

• Stress connected marine life: Prolonged basking spells successful nan Med person been linked to wide die-offs of sponges, corals and seagrass. Warmer waters besides boost jellyfish blooms and springiness invasive type the edge, unsettling ecosystems and fisheries.
• Storm potential: Hot seas enactment arsenic a substance vessel for aggravated late-summer and autumn storms. While lukewarm h2o unsocial does not create terrible weather, it surely loads nan dice.

Key facts astatine a glimpse truthful far

• Dragonera buoy (Mallorca): highest 30.86 °C (Aug 13)
• Mahon buoy (Menorca): highest 31.24 °C (Aug 13)
• Other buoy maxima: Tarragona 28.91 °C, Cabo de Palos 27.55 °C, Malaga 27.20 °C, Cabo de Gata 26.76 °C, Cabo de Begur 26.48 °C
• Valencia buoy: backmost online, ~29 °C connected Aug 17 (annual high)
• Outlook: heatwave continues this week, gradual cooling into precocious August and September

Bottom line

The Mediterranean is moving hotter than it should beryllium astatine this constituent successful August, pinch 30 °C-plus patches backmost successful nan Balearics and upper-20s wide on Spain’s eastbound and southbound coasts. Expect very lukewarm h2o to linger done nan coming days earlier late-summer storms yet return nan separator off. Until then, nan beaches consciousness for illustration bathwater, bliss for swimmers but a large headache for nan oversea itself.

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