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

Key messages

(22 Nov 2016)

• All European seas have warmed considerably since 1870, and the warming has been particularly rapid since the late 1970s. The multi-decadal rate of sea surface temperature rise during the satellite era (since 1979) has been between 0.21 °C per decade in the North Atlantic and 0.40 °C per decade in the Baltic Sea.
• Globally averaged sea surface temperature is projected to continue to increase, although more slowly than atmospheric temperature.

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