Marine heatwaves hit Mediterranean as eastern US braces for storms

Eastern Mediterranean sea surface temperatures up to 4C above normal, while Black Sea up to 6C higher

Above-normal sea surface temperatures are being recorded across much of the Mediterranean, especially in eastern areas. While sea surface temperatures are near or slightly below average along the eastern coasts of Iberia, across the eastern Mediterranean temperatures remain high, with deviations of 3C-4C above normal for this time of the year, particularly in the Aegean Sea.

The Black Sea is experiencing very large temperature anomalies of 4C-6C above normal. The duration and intensity of these abnormal temperatures classify these events as marine heatwaves, in categories 2 and 3. Such heatwaves can influence the marine ecosystems of a region, but also have an impact on weather patterns, with the relatively warm waters providing extra energy to the weather systems.