The effects of this warming are already visible, with droughts, wildfires and melting ice across the continent. The State of the European Climate report, produced with the EU’s Copernicus agency, warns that as the warming trend continues, extreme heat, fires, floods and other effects of climate collapse will affect society, economies and ecosystems. From 1991 to 2021, temperatures in Europe have increased by an average of about 0.5 C per decade. This had physical effects: Alpine glaciers lost 30 meters of ice thickness between 1997 and 2021, while the Greenland ice sheet was also melting, contributing to sea level rise. In the summer of 2021, Greenland had its first recorded rainfall at its highest point, Summit Station. Human lives have been lost as a result of extreme weather events. The report says that in 2021, high-impact weather and climate events – 84% of which were floods and storms – led to hundreds of deaths, directly affected more than 500,000 people and caused economic losses exceeding $50 billion. “Europe presents a vivid picture of a warming world and reminds us that even well-prepared societies are not safe from the effects of extreme weather events,” said WMO Secretary-General Professor Petteri Taalas. “This year, as in 2021, large parts of Europe have been hit by widespread heat and drought, fueling wildfires. In 2021, extraordinary floods caused death and destruction.” It also found that this trend was very likely to continue, with more weather disasters predicted in the future. It predicts that temperatures will rise across all European regions at a rate that exceeds global average temperature changes, similar to past observations. As the climate warms to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, weather events will accelerate, with dwindling summer rainfall likely to trigger devastating droughts. Extreme rain and flooding are likely to follow in the coming months in all regions except the Mediterranean. While the report makes for grim reading, there is some good news. It notes that many European countries have been very good at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and EU emissions fell by 31% between 1990 and 2020. Europe has also acted to protect people from the worst effects of the climate emergency, with systems extreme weather warning systems that protect around 75% of people, while heat-health action plans have saved many lives. “On the mitigation side, the good pace of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the region should continue and ambitions should be raised further. Europe can play a key role in achieving a carbon-neutral society by mid-century to meet Paris [climate] deal,” Taalas said. There are several reasons why Europe has warmed faster than other parts of the world. It has a high percentage of land mass, which warms faster than the sea. The Arctic and high northern latitudes in general are also the fastest warming regions globally, and a relatively large part of Europe is in northern latitudes. Feedback systems could also contribute, such as dry soil moisture meaning temperatures rise faster, resulting in more drying soil. Another example of feedback loops is Europe’s vulnerability to twin jet streams. This “double” effect occurs when a jet stream temporarily splits in two, leaving an area of light winds and high pressure air between the two branches that causes excessive heat. These twin streams become more likely as the land mass warms in early summer. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. A study in Nature Communications published earlier this year found that Europa was a “hot heat wave,” in part because twin jet streams account for about 35% of temperature variability. Other scientists welcomed the report, pointing out that Europe’s cities were “heat islands” and thus felt more extreme temperatures. Professor Daniela Schmidt, at the Cabot Institute and School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, said: “When global warming is mentioned, the focus is always on the global average, currently 1.1C. But there are big differences, with most of the oceans warming less, land more and more the farther you go to the poles. Our cities above it are heat islands, as many of us felt this hot summer. “In the UK, this summer’s heat wave has resulted in almost 3,000 extra deaths among over-65s. Heat and drought together have affected transport on European rivers, energy production, our ecosystems and our people. These risks will only increase with each increase in warming, and reducing these risks will become more difficult the longer we wait.”
