Climate change: Europe is fastest-warming continent on planet

Europe is experiencing the fastest warming of any region, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service report.

Continent warmed twice global average

According to the "State of Europe's Climate 2022" report, the continent has warmed twice the global average since the 1980s, with temperatures now 2.3 degrees Celsius higher than in the pre-industrial period.

The consequences of this warming are evident in the form of long-term changes such as melting glaciers and short-term extreme weather events. Europe witnessed severe heat waves in 2022, followed by droughts and forest fires. Tragically, these hazards caused 16,365 deaths, mostly caused by heat stress during the summer months.

Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stressed that such events are not isolated incidents, but part of a pattern indicating that heat stress extremes will become more frequent and intense across the region.

June heatwaves broke temperature records

The summer of 2022 marked the warmest on record in Europe, with July witnessing maximum heatwaves that broke temperature records in several countries, including the UK. Scientists have attributed the extraordinary heat in the UK to climate change. Record temperatures and similar heat waves were observed simultaneously on all five continents.

The report also highlighted extensive droughts resulting from excessive heat, reduced rainfall and the depletion of major rivers such as the Rhine. Several European countries, including France and the United Kingdom, experienced their driest periods in decades, affecting agriculture and energy production. Spain's water reserves fell significantly, reaching only 41.9% of total capacity on July 26.

Glaciers severely affected

Europe's glaciers have been severely affected, losing 880 cubic kilometres of ice between 1997 and 2022. The Alps suffered the greatest loss of ice thickness, with a reduction of 34 meters. This loss has implications for local climates and contributes to global sea level rise.

Ocean heat and marine heat waves have also been notable effects of warming in the European region. Record ocean temperatures were observed in the North Atlantic in 2022. The oceans absorb 90% of the heat generated by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.

Marine heat waves in the North Atlantic caused the displacement and extinction of marine species, the arrival of invasive species and the loss of biodiversity. The Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the southern Arctic Ocean also experienced sea surface temperatures three to four times higher than the global average.

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