Europe is warming faster than any other continent

(Patria) - Europe is the fastest warming continent, causing extreme weather events. Last year, floods across Europe affected at least 413,000 people.

This was shown by the 2024 report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization.

Last year was again the warmest on record in Europe, with record temperatures in the central, eastern, and southeastern regions.

Storms were frequent and severe, and floods widespread. A stark climatic contrast was observed between east and west – extremely dry and hot in the east, and warm but wet in the west.

"This report highlights that Europe is the fastest warming continent and is experiencing serious impacts from extreme weather and climate change," said Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization.

The document, which includes contributions from around 100 scientists, provides a series of worrying data, such as the highest recorded sea surface temperature of 0.7 degrees Celsius above average in the European region and 1.2 degrees Celsius above average in the Mediterranean.

This indicator is particularly dangerous, as the surface temperature of seas and oceans acts as fuel for atmospheric systems, meaning the warmer the water, the more steam and energy are released into the atmosphere, increasing the power of storms and extreme events.

During the storm that hit Valencia and other surrounding Spanish provinces, according to Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, national records for total precipitation in one, six, and 12 hours were broken.

The maximum total precipitation measured in 24 hours reached 771.8 millimeters, the second highest ever recorded in Spain.

According to this expert, the intensity of precipitation is likely linked to climate change, as rising atmospheric and sea surface temperatures promote the accumulation of water vapor in clouds.

Regarding extreme heat, southeastern Europe experienced its longest heatwave in history last summer – 13 consecutive days, affecting 55 percent of the region.

In addition, records for "severe thermal stress" (66), which measures how the human body reacts to the impact of high temperatures, and "tropical nights" (23), where the minimum temperature did not drop below 20 degrees Celsius, were broken for days.

On the other hand, only 31 percent of the European territory experienced at least 90 days of frost, the lowest percentage recorded to date (the average is 50 percent).

As for glaciers, all European regions suffered ice loss, with Scandinavia and Svalbard particularly affected, recording the highest rates of mass loss in their history: an average thickness loss of 1.8 meters in Scandinavia and 2.7 meters in Svalbard, which was one of the fastest warming areas on the planet.

However, the report notes that progress has been made in the area of renewable energy, with electricity generation from these sources in Europe reaching a record 45 percent in 2024, surpassing the 43 percent achieved in 2023.