Martis leaves with extremely high for the time, while we’re still waiting for him who actually never came… One after the other, the temperature records recorded in the first quarter of 2024 in Greece are dropped. The winter of 2023 – 2024 was the hottest in the chronicles of recordings for Greece, according to the preliminary data of the climate change service (C3S) of the European programme Copernicus which was analysed by the scientific team of meteo.gr/E. A.A. During the months of December 2023, January and February 2024 there were temperatures with prices sufficiently high for the levels of the season. Indeed, as meteo.gr/E.A. points out. A. the winter of 2023 – 2024 is recorded as the hottest in the chronicles for Greece, surpassing the winter of 2015-2016. In particular, according to the network of 53 weather stations of meteo.gr of the National Observatory of Athens (AIA) this year’s January was characterized by many days with positive temperature deviations, while for Northern Greece and Thessaly it was the second hottest January since 2010. In the region of Western Macedonia, temperatures were recorded which were up to 3.0 °C above normal levels for the season. A similar picture was presented by February as according to the data of meteo.gr/ESA was the warmest February in the last 15 years in Northern Greece. As IEVA/ESA research director points out, Dr. Costas Lawardos this year’s February was a month with intense temperature deviations. Indicative prices up to 4.0 were recorded in Macedonia and Thessaly °C above normal for season levels. Reaching the end of March the picture of higher temperatures for normal levels for the season does not change. As Mr.Laward explains, according to preliminary estimates for the third month of the year, and based on data by 28 March 2024, there are relative deviations across Greece for 1.5 to 2 points above normal levels for the season. The exception is Epirus which according to the data so far records deviations of one degree. At the same time as Mr. Lagovard points out with the estimates so far, the first 10 days of April are expected to be warm starting next week. In particular, according to the newest predictive elements of meteo.gr / National Observatory of Athens, air traffic over Europe over the next few days will favour the transport of extreme heats for the gas season of masses from Africa to Eastern Europe. This situation will result in temperatures up to 15-16 degrees Celsius higher than normal levels for the season. In fact, the temperature at the beginning of the week is likely to reach or even exceed 30 degrees Celsius in parts of the mainland, as reported by meteo.gr. It is worth noting that the rainfall in the country is also decreasing, resulting in a rise in drought, which, as Mr Laguard says, is causing concern about the deterioration in the situation of the fuel, but which will be re-evaluated in the next period. “Modification” of the Mediterranean, however, increases the temperature of the sea surface worldwide, while as Professor of Marine Biology at the University of the Aegean (President of the Department of Oceanography and Marine Biosciences, University of the Aegean, Member of the Scientific Committee MedPAN), Dros Koutsumbas during the last 30 years there has been an increase in the temperature of Mediterranean waters by about 1.5 degrees Celsius leading to the “modification” of the Mediterranean (Mediterranean Tropicalization) resulting in the invasion of a large number of foreign – allochthon species (biological invaders) in the Mediterranean creating problems for the populations of indigenous species of the marine biocosm and their habitats, as well as for humans. According to Mr. Koutsumba, summarising the greatest risks facing the Mediterranean seas from climate change are increasing the temperature of the waters resulting in the introduction of allergen species, the acidification of the sea, i.e. the reduction of the pH of seawater and the increase of acidity, the sea heat and the increase in sea level resulting in erosion. Regarding the acidification of the sea, as Mr. Koutsubas explains, the additions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere increase the dissolved carbon dioxide leading to an increase in acidity in the oceans. “The increased carbon dioxide prices lead to a reduced PH in the oceans that affects all organisms consisting of calcium carbonate because the acid dissolves calcium carbonate so they can’t fix their skeleton,” points out Mr. Koutsubas. Sea heats About the sea heats Mr. Koutsubas spoke to the APE-ME on the sidelines of the speech on “Climatic change and its impact on the Mediterranean seas: From theory to practice” organized by the Hellenic Society for Nature Protection as part of the new cycle “Nature Protection Lab” notes: “The worst thing is the fact that besides having a higher temperature to an average degree, 1.5 degrees Celsius over the last 30 years is that the periods of high temperature values last. The scientific community calls it sea heat, i.e. for long periods of 20, 30 days, you have temperatures that are relatively unnatural. Instead of having temperatures of 22–23 degrees in the summer you have 28.29, which apparently leads to extreme conditions even to death many organisms.” At the same time, as he points out, it is not only the issue of climate change but also man-made activities such as navigation, overfishing, plastic pollution, a series of anthropogenic interventions in habitats which means that all of this works together with increasing temperature and climate change cumulatively and adds that this is how the pressure increases. “The most likely of all is that we will not be able to achieve the goals and the only effort one can make is to increase areas that we have intact, to build areas that are untouched closer to physical condition,” Mr. Koutsumbas notes.
The hottest winter this year: With 30s comes April – “Modification” of the Mediterranean and sea heats
—
in Greece