World Weather Attribution (WWA) warns rising ocean temperatures could produce stronger storms in Europe later this year. The study says Mediterranean warming is running at roughly twice the global ocean average and parts of the Mediterranean and Europe’s Atlantic coast recorded June sea surface temperature anomalies above 6°C. Catherine Gregory, a co‑author and researcher at the University of Bern, said very high SSTs supply extra energy to storms and can prolong their duration, and that the top

2026-08-19

World Weather Attribution (WWA) warns rising ocean temperatures could produce stronger storms in Europe later this year. The study says Mediterranean warming is running at roughly twice the global ocean average and parts of the Mediterranean and Europe’s Atlantic coast recorded June sea surface temperature anomalies above 6°C. Catherine Gregory, a co‑author and researcher at the University of Bern, said very high SSTs supply extra energy to storms and can prolong their duration, and that the topic is a relatively new research area that may be one of the most significant human impacts of marine heatwaves.