New Record: Mediterranean Sea Records Hottest Average in Decades

Arab Weather - Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Regional Center are following up on the weather conditions that the Mediterranean Sea has been witnessing recently, as experts at the Arab Weather Center said that the Mediterranean Sea has been witnessing a severe marine heat wave since the beginning of August 2024, which is still affecting the Mediterranean waters, causing a gradual rise in the surface temperature of the water. The surface temperature of the water exceeded the climatic averages by more than 5 degrees Celsius, especially in the central part of it.

Marine heatwave continues as Mediterranean sets temperature records

Forecasters at the Arab Weather Center indicated that readings from advanced computer modeling, which shows the temperature of water bodies, indicate that the Mediterranean Sea, like other water bodies, is witnessing a significant rise in the temperature of the water surface, as the temperature of some parts, especially in its center, reaches 31 degrees Celsius, which is a relatively hot and unusual temperature for the Mediterranean Sea, even breaking the record recorded in 2023 for the same month, in which the water temperature reached about 30 degrees Celsius.

According to computer modeling, the Mediterranean Sea is expected to continue to be affected by the marine heatwave in the coming days, which is likely to record further increases in surface water temperatures during the rest of August. (In simple terms, marine heatwaves can be defined as long periods of abnormally high temperatures in the surface waters of oceans and seas. These waves can last from several days to several months, and these waves are increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change and rising global temperatures.)

The Mediterranean Sea records the highest daily average water surface temperature in 42 years!

According to the latest reports issued by ocean and sea monitoring centers around the world, the latest of which was issued by the Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies (CEAM), the Mediterranean Sea continues to break records for daily average surface temperature. Between 10 and 14 August, values ​​higher than the previous record set in 2023 were recorded. The maximum value was recorded on 13 August 2024 at 28.22°C, which is the highest daily average temperature of the Mediterranean Sea since January 1982, i.e. 42 years ago.

Rising Mediterranean temperatures affect weather patterns and disturbances during the fall

Meteorologists at the Arab Weather Center said that the rise in the temperature of the Mediterranean Sea leads to increased evaporation processes and injects large amounts of water vapor into the atmosphere, which increases the humidity of the air above the sea. This humid air can cause the formation of dense clouds and thunderstorms during the fall, during the passage of cold upper basins due to the sharp thermal differences that occur between the upper basins and the water temperature. Also, large temperature differences between the sea and the adjacent land can enhance the ascending and descending air currents, which increases atmospheric instability during the fall. It is known meteorologically that the greater the thermal differences, the more severe the atmospheric disturbances are and during which high-altitude thunderclouds are formed, which bring multiple weather phenomena such as severe hailstorms of large sizes and very heavy rainfall within a short period of time.

Warming Mediterranean Sea is a fertile environment for the formation of Mediterranean storms

Weather experts at Arab Weather indicated that these very warm and humid weather conditions in the Mediterranean Sea may be a fertile environment that contributes to the formation of Mediterranean storms (Medicanes), which are similar to tropical storms and hurricanes in terms of structure and accompanying weather phenomena, but occur in the Mediterranean region.

Mediterranean storms are tropical cyclone-like weather phenomena that occur in the Mediterranean Sea. The name "medicane" comes from the combination of the words "mediterranean" (Mediterranean) and "hurricane". These storms have characteristics similar to tropical cyclones, such as calm eyes and strong winds that rotate around the center. The sea temperature is the fuel for this type of weather, but it requires special atmospheric conditions, such as the separation of the cold upper trough from the general jet stream circulation and its long stay over the water, to begin to take on tropical-like characteristics.

The Mediterranean's weather and climate make it the center of attention.

In a related context, Arab Weather experts said that the weather conditions witnessed by the Mediterranean Sea are exceptional and rare, which makes most eyes turn to it during the coming months, especially with the onset of autumn and the change in weather systems over the northern hemisphere, as the Mediterranean Sea is considered a fertile environment for strong weather disturbances in the event that the necessary spark is available for that, which is the descent of cold upper basins.

God knows best.

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