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Mediterranean nears 30°C as Spain braces for temperatures of up to 44°C
The latest heatwave is adding to already unusually warm Mediterranean waters, with temperatures above 30°C recorded in some areas
Spain is facing another day of intense summer heat, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 44°C in parts of the country while the Mediterranean continues to warm to levels that are causing growing concern among experts.
The latest heat is particularly significant along the Valencian coast, where the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has issued a red alert for Wednesday covering the coast of Valencia and northern Alicante.
As temperatures on land rise again, the sea is also continuing to absorb the heat. Jorge Olcina, head of the Climatology Laboratory at the University of Alicante, explained that the repeated periods of extreme heat this summer are contributing to unusually warm Mediterranean waters.
Sea temperatures in the Gulf of Valencia are already approaching 30°C, with some readings exceeding that level. Mr Olcina warned that the problem isn’t simply a case of the sea becoming briefly warmer during a hot spell. The concern is that high temperatures have been sustained over a longer period.
The latest spell of extreme heat is expected to be the final particularly warm period in the Valencian Community for around the next ten days, according to Mr Olcina. From Thursday August 20, a change in pressure patterns is expected to bring temperatures back towards more typical levels for this time of year.
That doesn’t mean the whole of Spain is escaping the heat just yet.
The Valencian Community is one of several parts of the country facing dangerous temperatures, with the Miño area of Pontevedra in Galicia also under a red alert.
Aemet spokesperson José Luis Camacho explained that a DANA positioned to the south-west of the Iberian Peninsula, together with a ridge of high pressure, is helping to draw in and maintain very warm air from the Sahara.
That combination is creating the conditions for exceptionally high daytime temperatures across a large part of Spain.
For people living along the Mediterranean coast, however, the unusually warm sea is an added concern. The Mediterranean has already experienced repeated periods of very high temperatures this summer and the latest spell of extreme heat is adding even more warmth to the water.
While temperatures on land are expected to become more manageable from Thursday in the Valencian Community, the sea doesn’t cool down as quickly. Warm Mediterranean waters can also play a role in local weather conditions, particularly when the atmosphere becomes unstable.
Image: Comunitat Valenciana
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