Mediterranean Sea hits record 33°C water temperature

The Mediterranean Sea has reached a record-breaking water temperature of 33 degrees Celsius, recorded near Mallorca. In the western basin, temperatures are currently four to six degrees higher than seasonal norms, with many areas seeing water temperatures near 30 degrees Celsius.

Experts warn that these unusually warm waters act as fuel for severe weather. When cool northern air meets this warm, moist layer in the autumn, it can trigger massive thunderstorm complexes or ‘medicanes’—tropical-like Mediterranean cyclones.

Historical precedents highlight the danger of such systems, including Storm Daniel in 2023, which caused over 5,000 deaths in Derna, Libya, and Storm Ianos in Greece in 2020.