Global seas demonstrated record temperatures for July, and the combination of heat and drought has led to a drop in water levels and deterioration of water bodies in Europe. Specialists attribute these phenomena to the intensification of climate extremes.
According to a BBC report, the average sea surface temperature outside the polar zones was approximately +21°C, exceeding the previous record set in 2023. The highest readings were recorded off the Atlantic coast of Europe and in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, July became the second warmest month globally in observation history.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July on record: the average temperature over these two months was 2.79 degrees above the established norm. This heat and drought triggered large-scale forest fires, resulting in the burning of about 500 thousand hectares in the EU since the beginning of the year.
According to The Guardian, the drought has already impacted energy infrastructure operations. In Poland, two coal-fired power plants were forced to shut down due to insufficient water for cooling, and the only nuclear power plant in Hungary stopped operating. The preliminary estimate of economic damage from the summer heat for grain producers in Europe is two billion euros.
In the UK, July was declared the driest for England and Wales in the last 190 years of observations. Large areas of England and the entire territory of Wales were declared drought zones, and water levels in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers dropped significantly below normal.
Water resource problems in Britain are not solely due to drought. As reported by New Civil Engineer, a new classification by the Environment Agency of England shows that only 14.3% of more than 4,600 surface water bodies meet the criteria for good ecological status. The remaining 65.4% received a 'satisfactory' rating, 17% a 'poor' rating, and 3.1% a 'very poor' rating. Furthermore, all surface waters in the country do not meet chemical composition requirements.
The new assessment demonstrates a decrease in the proportion of water bodies in good ecological status compared to 2019, when this figure was 16.3%. However, the Environment Agency emphasizes that a direct comparison is impossible due to the use of more extensive monitoring data and updated analysis methods for the current assessment.
Simultaneously, improvements are observed in some individual parameters. In 82% of cases, individual ecological indicators of water bodies were rated as 'good' or 'high'. For example, phosphate levels in the River Roch improved from poor to good after the implementation of a special permit for wastewater treatment facilities located upstream.
Scientists warn that ocean warming contributes to an increase in marine heatwaves, sea-level rise, and potential intensification of tropical storms and precipitation. On land, heat and drought mutually reinforce negative effects, and the formation of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean could further raise global temperatures in the coming months.
Additionally, it should be noted that the past July was one of the hottest in Uzbekistan. The average temperature there exceeded the climatic norm by 1.3–2.8 degrees, and in desert regions, air temperatures approached 50 degrees. In Kyzylkum, up to 19–23 days with temperatures above 40 degrees were recorded.
The report issued by the European Copernicus system points to a series of extreme events, characterizing the period from June to July as the hottest ever recorded in Western Europe. This period was marked by a combination of abnormal temperatures, exceptional drought across most of the region, high-intensity wildfires, and the occurrence of a record temperature on the ocean surface during July.
Additionally, a notable reduction in the water levels of several rivers, including the Seine, the Rhine, and the Danube, was observed. This decrease had direct consequences for water supply, irrigation practices, and energy generation in several countries.
According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, which operates under the auspices of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, July registered the highest sea surface temperature in all time in the extra-polar oceans. The records observed across the Atlantic and western Mediterranean throughout Europe were linked to severe and widespread marine heatwaves, with the sea surface temperature reaching 20.96°C in July, surpassing the previous record of 20.89°C set in July 2023.
Copernicus scientists frame this new record within a broader climate warming trend, indicating that this phenomenon is not merely attributable to the El Niño event. These marine heatwaves brought significant impacts both to coastal ecosystems and to local communities. In marine environments, changes are observed in the migratory routes of various species, while in coastal populations, problems related to fishing, changes in aquaculture, and an increased risk to certain tourist activities are emerging.
The high ocean surface temperatures in July coincided with prolonged conditions of heat and dryness. The statement also highlights the strengthening link between extreme heat and drought. This cycle occurs because, when soils dry out, they lose the ability to cool the environment through water evaporation. The process unfolds as follows: higher heat causes soil drying; drier soils further raise the temperature; higher temperatures promote fires; and these fires, in turn, release more heat and cause vegetation degradation.
Laurence Rouil, director of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service, clarifies that climate change is intensifying heat and dryness conditions, which favors the occurrence of large, high-intensity wildfires in Southern Europe. Furthermore, she adds that larger fires generate more smoke, which rises higher into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel greater distances and affect air quality not only locally but also thousands of kilometers away.
