Carbon pollution has fuelled a "massive expansion" of marine heatwaves across Europe this summer, with some sea regions recording temperatures up to 6C higher than normal, according to new research. Analysis by World Weather Attribution found that the hottest fortnights of this year would have been "virtually impossible" in a preindustrial climate in three of the four sea regions examined.
In the Celtic region, which encompasses much of the waters around the British Isles, heat levels reached an intensity previously expected only once a century. Researchers stated that climate breakdown accounted for about two-thirds of the excess heat observed, warming waters by approximately 2C in the Mediterranean, 1.4C in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian Peninsula, and 1.3C around Ireland and the Channel.
The rapid analysis, which has not yet undergone peer review, compared observed sea surface temperatures with climate model simulations to assess the role of global heating. The study is the group's first to focus on the impact of fossil fuel burning on marine heat.
Claire Bergin, a scientist at Maynooth University in Ireland and co-author of the report, highlighted the serious impacts on marine life, noting the potential to "completely reshape ecosystems that coastal communities rely on for food and income, and drive damaging extreme weather on land too."