North and Baltic Seas record significantly high summer temperatures

Measurements from the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) indicate that the North Sea and Baltic Sea experienced significantly warmer temperatures this summer compared to long-term averages.

The North Sea's average surface temperature was 15.6 degrees Celsius, nearly one degree above the 1997–2021 average, making it the fifth warmest summer since 1997. The southern North Sea and the English Channel were particularly warm, exceeding the average by two degrees or more. Near Helgoland, temperatures reached almost four degrees above the mean on July 1, 2026.

The Baltic Sea also recorded an average surface temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius, approximately one degree above the long-term average, marking its seventh warmest summer since 1997. Extreme warmth was noted along the coasts of Germany and Poland, as well as off the Swedish coast. June in the Baltic Sea was exceptionally warm, with temperatures nearly three degrees above the long-term average.