A new study conducted by World Weather Attribution has identified a direct link between carbon pollution and the recent surge in marine heatwaves across Europe. Researchers examined four distinct sea regions and found that water temperatures in some areas reached levels up to 6C higher than historical averages. According to the findings, the extreme heat observed during the hottest fortnights of this summer would have been statistically improbable in a pre-industrial climate.

Specifically, the report highlights the Celtic region, which encompasses waters surrounding the British Isles, as experiencing heat events that historically occurred only once per century. The analysis attributes approximately two-thirds of the excess heat recorded in these marine environments to climate change resulting from human activity. While the study emphasizes the role of carbon emissions in driving these thermal anomalies, it focuses primarily on the meteorological data and the attribution of these events to broader climate trends. The research underscores a significant shift in marine climate patterns, suggesting that the baseline for ocean temperatures in these regions has been fundamentally altered by global warming trends.