Tarragona has recorded its highest sea temperatures for May, according to data from Puertos del Estado, the Spanish State Ports authority.
The outer buoy near Tarragona reached 24.64C on 31 May, the highest value ever recorded for that month in its operational history. The coastal buoy, closer to beaches and ports, registered 24.5C on 30 May, also setting a record for the period.
Those readings put Tarragona among the warmest points along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, just behind some areas in the Balearic Islands. The coastal buoy in Tarragona also exceeded Barcelona's maximum of 24.2C on 31 May.
Puertos del Estado said the pattern was not limited to Tarragona. Most buoys across the Mediterranean, and all those in the Cantabrian Sea and Galicia, recorded record temperatures during May. In total, 12 of 15 deep-water buoys and 6 of 14 coastal buoys marked historic highs for the month. More Catalonia news
Experts say sea temperatures that are more typical of mid-summer can affect marine ecosystems and may influence weather patterns in the weeks ahead. A warmer sea increases evaporation, which can intensify extreme weather when conditions align.
Puertos del Estado collects real-time data from measurement networks along the Spanish coast. The systems monitor water temperature, wave height, marine currents and sea level. For official data and monitoring, see Puertos del Estado and its Portus oceanographic data platform.