Met Office - "Extreme" Marine Heatwave Poses Threat Of Mass Mortality Event For Multiple UK Species
UK waters are being hit with an “extreme” marine heatwave, the Met Office has said, as scientists warn that high ocean temperatures globally could result in “mass-mortality events” for some species. The forecasters said these elevated temperatures have developed rapidly because of last month’s heat dome, during which most of Europe sweltered in its worst ever heatwave that scientists said would have been impossible without the climate crisis.
The third heatwave of the summer has arrived in the UK this week, with temperatures on track to exceed 30C for up to 10 consecutive days. Dr Ségolène Berthou, an air-sea interaction specialist at the Met Office, said these atmospheric conditions drive the marine heatwave. “The ocean didn’t have enough time to cool down between the two land heatwaves,” she said.
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Berthou said this is the third and most intense marine heatwave the UK has seen this year, with temperatures on average 2C warmer than usual and with some locations reaching “severe” conditions where the water temperature is 4-5C warmer than usual. “There’s no sign of an end to it,” Berthou added.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Copernicus Marine Service have confirmed that global sea surface temperatures have surpassed the previous records for this time of year, which were set in 2023 and 2024. This had been anticipated to follow the development of El Niño conditions, which scientists forecast to be the strongest in decades.
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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/08/uk-waters-extreme-heatwave-global-sea-temperatures-record-climate-crisis