All-Time Record High Temperature Set in Egypt, Yemen Nearing All-Time Record, Hottest Spring Night in European History

In Egypt, along the Gulf of Suez, an all-time high record temperature was set in Ras Sedr of 45.4°C today, May 26th. This shockingly high temperature was recorded as a heatwave passes through the Southern Mediterranean. What makes this temperature surprising is that it was recorded right next to a part of the Red Sea. While the Red Sea is experiencing increased temperatures over time, helping to buoy air temperatures higher, a stunning record figure of 45.4°C suggests the Gulf of Suez is not doing particularly well at cooling surrounding air sufficiently. Also an all-time record high temperature being set in May in Egypt does not bode well for the coming summer. We could very well see more records shattered as the Red Sea continues its seasonal warm-up and the Northern Hemisphere settles into summer. Luckily for right now, relief from the hot temperatures in Egypt is expected to arrive by mid-week, as the animation below illustrates.

Further north in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Greece is experiencing continued high temperatures well above seasonal expectations. On the island of Crete in Greece, an intense wave of heat led to an unprecedented high minimum nightly temperature of 37.4°C in Falasarna. While such a nightly minimum temperature may be more typical of countries along the Persian Gulf, it comes at a complete surprise to those in the Mediterranean. This figure not only means the hottest recorded night in spring history for Greece, but for the whole European continent as well. As the Mediterranean Sea increases in temperature every year, it reached an all-time record this past summer that may be repeated this coming summer. As is the case with the Red Sea, higher sea temperatures mean more intense heatwaves, as the air cannot be cooled as effectively by convection to seawater. What this may mean for the coming summer cannot be understated, as temperatures could reach unbearable levels.

The Middle East continues to suffer from a strong heatwave early in the season as we approach the end of May. In Yemen, temperatures reached 46°C, only 0.3°C off of the all-time record. The extraordinary May heat comes as the country suffers form an exceptional drought. With temperatures reaching such worrying figures before the onset of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, Yemen’s drought may intensify, worsening the humanitarian crisis there. Unfortunately, there is no expected relief from the heat expected over the coming days, as the animation below depicts forecasted temperatures above seasonal norms well into June.