What is the trend in surface water temperature across European seas?

Key messages

(31 Jan 2014)

• Sea surface temperature in European seas has been increasing in the past century at a faster rate than the global ocean.
• The rate of increase in sea surface temperature in all European seas during the past 25 years is the largest ever measured in any 25-year period. It has been several times faster than the average rate of increase during the past century, and it is also much faster than the global ocean.

• Globally averaged sea surface temperature is projected to continue to increase although more slowly than atmospheric temperature. 

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