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ARCHIVED - Mediterranean sea temperature on the Costa Blanca reaches record highs
The Med on the Costa Blanca is experiencing its own heatwave and sea temperatures have approached 30ºC five times this month
The heatwaves that have seen the mercury rise to punishing levels leading to human loss and deadly fires have also taken their toll on sea temperatures with concern mounting over the impact on the marine ecosystem.
The Valencia buoy, which is part of the Puertos del Estado (State Ports) network, recorded its highest ever water surface temperature on Tuesday August 9, reaching 29.72ºC and surpassing the previous record of 28.65ºC on August 7 2015.
It's not the first time the 2015 all-time high has been exceeded this month, teetering around 29ºC on August 1, 2, 7 and 8.
"On Monday and Tuesday the surface water temperature exceeded 29ºC, a significant point value," explained Aemet, which collects the data from Puertos del Estado and shares it on its social networks.
"It is even more significant that this anomaly has been maintained persistently for months in a large area of the western Mediterranean," added the State Meteorological Agency.
These "massive anomalies coincide with atmospheric heat waves", and whilst a single heat wave can have limited effects, if they occur often, they have a detrimental impact on the marine ecosystem.
The warm sea temperature also brings an increased risk of storms and can cause episodes of torrential rain.
According to the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) every century the surface temperature of the Mediterranean rises by one degree; in the depths it increases a few tenths, from 12.7 to 12.8, because of the volume of water.
But the IEO has warned that although it is minimal, it is more concerning because in the long term it could dilate and increase in volume, with the consequent rise in sea level. The experts have noted an "underlying trend in recent years" that indicates sea temperatures are getting higher and higher, accompanied by an increase in salinity.
For the moment, there's unlikely to be any reprieve in terms of sweltering conditions. On Tuesday, the meteorological portal eltiempo.es warned that Valencia is "very close" to its worst year in terms of the number of tropical nights since records began in 2003.
"The region could end up surpassing its absolute record of tropical and equatorial nights if things continue as they have been so far this month."
July was the hottest month in Spain in 62 years and averaged 25.6ºC - the highest average temperature not only in July but in any month of the year since at least 1961. It was also the driest in the last 15 years.
Image: pxhere
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