In Northern Europe, it is not only unusually hot on land, but the seas and inland waters are also very warm.

In the Gulf of Bothnia, part of the Baltic Sea, the water temperature is currently around 24 °C. The water off the coast of Norway is also warmer than average, at 11 to 15 °C.

Such water temperatures are quite unusual at this time of year. If you look at the deviations from the climate average (1991-2020), the water on the fjord coast of Norway is around 4 to 7 degrees warmer.

The northern part of the Baltic Sea is also unusually warm, with deviations of 3 to 8 degrees. The deviations between Denmark and Lithuania are not quite as high, at 2 to 4 degrees.

In the UK and Ireland, water temperatures are around average, and a little higher in places, perfect for a trip to the coast during the school holidays.