Warming of the oceans
Federal Office: North and Baltic Sea temperatures above average
In the Baltic Sea, “extremely high temperatures” were measured. (Symbolic image) Photo
© Bernd Wüstneck/dpa
It is getting warmer in many places, including the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. This is also reflected in the summer of 2024 compared to the long-term average. However, there are clear regional differences.
German North Sea about 1 degree above average
According to the BSH, temperatures in the North Sea averaged 14.9 degrees from the beginning of June to August. In the south in particular, including German waters, temperatures rose by around 1 degree. In these regions, it was the third warmest summer since 1997. But temperatures west of Norway were also well above average, according to the information.
Partly “extremely high temperatures” in the Baltic Sea
According to the BSH, temperatures along the German Baltic coast were 0.5 to 1.3 degrees above the long-term average. For the north and east of the Baltic Sea, however, the BSH speaks of “sometimes extremely high temperatures of more than 2 degrees above the long-term average”. Some of these are the highest temperatures ever measured in these regions.
According to the BSH, the evaluation is based on satellite data combined with measurements from stations and ships. Surface temperatures were analyzed weekly in June, July and August and averages were calculated. The summer average is compared with the corresponding values from 1997 to 2021.