Europe Warming Twice As Fast As Global Average Since 1989 - WMO

Monday, 19 June 2023 16:43

By Caoimhe Harney

Europe has been warming twice as much as the global average for the past 40 years, according to a new report.

A new report from the World Meteorological Organization has confirmed that Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average since 1980, with major human economic and environmental impacts.

The State of the Climate in Europe Report says that average temperatures in Europe last year were 2.3 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels.

The report says that the record-breaking heat stress experienced in Europe last year, with heatwaves resulting indirectly in 16,000 excess deaths throughout the continent, cannot be considered a one-off occurrence or an oddity of the climate.

Rather, it says that these kinds of events are part of a pattern that will make heat stress extremes more frequent and more intense across the region.

Europe has been warming twice as much as the global average for the past 40 years and the report warns of far-reaching impacts on the region's socio-economic fabric and ecosystems.

Storms, flooding, heat waves and other climate-related hazards in Europe in 2022, inflicted $2bn in damage, resulted in 16,365 reported fatalities, and directly affected 156,000 people.

The year was marked by extreme heat, drought and wildfires, with average temperatures approximately 2.3C above the pre-industrial average, which is used as a baseline for the Paris Agreement on climate change.