The German Bight experiences unprecedented warmth. - North Sea temperatures reach all-time high.
The North Sea's temperatures in 2023 reached their highest levels since record-keeping started. This finding was made using data from the Alfred Wegener Institute's Biological Station Helgoland in Bremerhaven. On average, the water was around 11.9 degrees last year. The AWI highlighted this as the hottest year on record for the Helgoland Reede data series, which began in 1962. The institute mentioned that the warming is due to climate change and could lead to major impacts on the ecosystem.
Similarly, even more elevated temperatures were detected in the North Sea this year. In fact, the Alfred Wegener Institute reported that January, February, March, and April 2024 were among the top ten warmest months since 1962. To illustrate, March 2024 was the warmest March on record with an average water temperature of 6.9 degrees Celsius.
The data suggest a connection between the monthly temperatures in the German Bight area and the temperatures on land. According to Prof. Karen Wiltshire, who's the director of the Biological Station Helgoland, "The North Sea is warming so fast because it's a shallow sea surrounded by landmasses, like a large puddle." As a result, the temperature trends for the mainland parallel those in the water temperature. The institute suggested that marine heatwaves could potentially affect not just the surface waters but also the seabed habitats.
