Record-breaking hot summer in parts of Europe – the sea has never been so varm

Western Europe is experiencing its hottest summer to date, and the sea has never been warmer during the month of July.In Western Europe, a persistent high-pressure system has made the period from June to July the hottest on record, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The heat is exacerbated by dry ground, which means it loses its natural cooling capacity.

´This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing each other,´ says climate lead Samantha Burgess in a press release.

Globally, sea surface temperatures are also higher than ever before for the month of July. In the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, this is due to widespread marine heatwaves, whilst in the tropical parts of the Pacific, the El Niño weather phenomenon is a contributing factor.