The sea surface temperature in L'Estartit reached 22.3 ºC on May 30 and rose to 22.6 ºC in the early hours of June 2. In Torroella de Montgrí, the maritime thermometer registered 21.2 ºC on the same day.
The most striking fact is not just the figure, but the early arrival. The water exceeded 20 degrees off the Illes Medes on May 25, the earliest start of this threshold since measurements began in this area of Baix Empordà, and it is also 4.3 ºC above the climatic average of 1991-2020 for these dates.
The water exceeded 20 degrees on May 25 for the first time so early
Josep Pascual, observer of the sea state in L'Estartit, maintains one of the most followed series at this point on the Girona coast. On May 30, he recorded 22.3 ºC and three days later the reading had already climbed to 22.6 ºC.
Off the Illes Medes, crossing the 20-degree mark occurred on May 25. This threshold had never been reached so early since measurements have been taken in the area.
"We continue with high temperatures for the season" - Josep Pascual, observer of the sea state in L'Estartit
The climatic reference for the period 1991-2020 places these measurements 4.3 ºC above normal for early June. In the same stretch of coastline, the maritime thermometer registered 21.2 ºC in Torroella de Montgrí in the early hours of June 2.
The ECMWF detects a warm anomaly in the western Mediterranean this week
The ECMWF meteorological model points to a warm anomaly in the surface temperature of the western Mediterranean this week. This scenario aligns with the values observed on the coast of Baix Empordà in recent days.
Current technical criteria do not allow for the confirmation of a marine heatwave. For now, the situation is described as a warmer sea than usual at the start of June.
If this warming persists in the surface layer, the coast may experience more sultry nights and an increase in ambient humidity. The intensity of storms may also change when they coincide with incursions of cold air at altitude.
The last available reading taken in the early hours of June 2 showed 22.6 ºC in L'Estartit and 21.2 ºC in Torroella de Montgrí, with a deviation of 4.3 ºC above the climatic average of 1991-2020 for these dates.