By Al-Masry Al-Youm
The Professor of Remote Sensing and Earth Systems Science at the Chapman University in the US, Hesham al-Askary, said on Tuesday that this summer in the Mediterranean is witnessing unprecedented changes due to a significant rise in water temperatures.
During a phone call with TeN TV channel, Askary warned that this portend the emergence of “quasi-hurricanes” this summer.
The Mediterranean Sea has begun to acquire characteristics resembling tropical climates, he noted, despite being geographically located outside the equatorial zone.
Askary attributed this to an increase in water temperature of more than 2.5 degrees Celsius above normal levels.
Climate change will have environmental and economic repercussions, he warned, primarily impacting fish stocks and the marine ecosystem, due to the movement of plankton and changes in food chains.
He further warned of a decline in fishing-related activities as a result.
Askary explained that these riding temperatures will leading to the formation of severe weather phenomena such as hurricanes and storms.
He noted that the sea is still in the early stages of summer, and temperatures are expected to rise further during August and September, increasing the chances of rainfall in September and October due to increased evaporation rates.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm