Abnormal temperature records were recorded in the waters off Spain in May

Spain’s State Network of Seaports (Puertos del Estado) has released monitoring data showing an unprecedented warming of the waters surrounding the country in May. Historical highs in sea water temperatures were recorded at 18 out of 29 active deep-water and coastal observation stations. 

Abnormally high readings were recorded along virtually the entire Spanish coastline—from the cool Cantabrian Sea and the northern region of Galicia to the entire Mediterranean basin, including the resort islands of the Balearics. 

Scientists recorded this season’s absolute temperature record on May 27 near the island of Menorca, where the surface layer of water warmed to a summery 26.58°C. The second-highest record was recorded at the end of the month off the coast of the uninhabited island of Dragoner, located near Mallorca, where thermometers read 26.2°C. In their official report, analysts from Puertos del Estado noted that 12 out of 15 deep-water oceanographic buoys, as well as 6 out of 14 specialized coastal sensors, recorded extreme May heat levels—an all-time high for the entire period of scientific observations in these areas.

In addition to the island territories, the critical warming of the water also affected the mainland of popular tourist regions. In particular, in the coastal areas of Tarragona and Barcelona, sea temperatures rose to 24.5°C and 24.2°C, respectively, which also set new local records for late spring. Experts attribute these anomalies to general changes in the global climate and large-scale heat waves that are increasingly affecting Southern Europe, posing additional threats to the preservation of local marine ecosystems.