The sa Dragonera buoy off Mallorca registered an unprecedented sea temperature of 33.02 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
The peak measurement occurred around 4:00 p.m. following a rapid rise in water temperature throughout the day. Sensors recorded the sea at 29.94 degrees Celsius at 9:00 a.m. before it surpassed 32 degrees Celsius by midday and reached the historic 33.02 degree peak several hours later.
The previous maximum at the sa Dragonera station was 31.87 degrees Celsius, set on August 12, 2024. That earlier figure had been the highest recorded across the entire Outer Buoy Network of Puertos del Estado, making the new measurement a jump of 1.15 degrees Celsius.
Specific buoy measurement and station history
The 33.02 degree reading reflects a single sensor measurement rather than an average temperature for all Balearic waters. It also does not mean the sea reached that temperature across every beach in Mallorca.
The sa Dragonera station forms part of the Puertos del Estado network and has been operational since the summer of 2009. Its sensors gather hourly information on water temperature, waves, wind, and ocean currents.
Despite being a single reading, the measurement is extraordinary following warning signs earlier in the year. The same buoy registered 26.2 degrees Celsius on May 30, 2026, its highest temperature measured during that month, while 12 of the 15 deep-water buoys managed by Puertos del Estado set historic record high temperatures in May 2026.
Mediterranean warming trends and ecosystem impacts
The new record forms part of a long-term warming trend across the Mediterranean Sea. Data from the Balearic Coastal Observing and Forecasting System show that the surface temperature of the basin increased at an average rate of nearly 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade between 1982 and 2025.
The year 2025 was the warmest on record in the Balearic Islands, with an average sea surface temperature of 20.7 degrees Celsius and prolonged episodes of intense marine heat during the summer.
High sea temperatures can create thermal stress for sensitive marine ecosystems, including posidonia seagrass meadows, corals, gorgonians, and other marine organisms, if the heat persists for days or weeks. Warmer waters also release more atmospheric moisture and prevent night temperatures from falling in coastal areas, while providing potential energy and humidity for torrential rainfall when combined with favorable atmospheric conditions.
