Mediterranean ocean warming increases flood risks

Record-breaking ocean temperatures recorded this summer have raised concerns regarding the increased risk of heavy rainfall and flooding in coastal regions during the autumn season. According to scientific data, oceans absorb approximately 90 percent of the warming caused by human activities.

In the Mediterranean Sea, summer temperatures were recorded at three to four degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial levels. François Prédiat, an oceanographer at the Free University of Brussels, noted that marine heatwaves covered nearly two-thirds of the Mediterranean basin, with some local increases reaching eight degrees.

Data from World Weather Attribution shows that the western Mediterranean, stretching from the Balearic Islands to Italy, reached an average temperature of approximately 28 degrees Celsius in late July. Experts warn that warmer waters increase evaporation and atmospheric humidity. Under the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, air can hold about 7 percent more water vapor for every degree of warming, which can lead to intense local rainfall when meeting cold air masses.