Europe Heats Up at Record Speed

The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service and the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) agree: Europe is heating up faster than other parts of the world. It is in the Old World that a record number of days with “extreme heat stress” were observed in 2023. There were strong heat waves and extreme atmospheric phenomena – droughts and storms with corresponding consequences in the form of fires and floods.

This is outlined in the European State of the Climate report compiled by Copernicus and the WMO. It notes that 2023 was the hottest year on record for weather observations. The three warmest years in Europe occurred from 2020 to the present, while the ten warmest years occurred from 2007 to the present. Average sea surface temperatures in Europe were the highest ever recorded, and exceptional reductions in glacier thickness and volume were recorded in the Alps.

“We are seeing an increasing trend in the number of heat stress days across Europe, 2023 was no exception, with Europe experiencing a record number of extreme days,” explained Copernicus researcher Rebecca Emerton. The consequences of this phenomenon are tangible: according to the “Disaster Database,” in 2023, 63 people died in Europe due to hurricanes, 44 due to floods, and 44 due to fires. As for the economic losses associated with climate events, they are estimated at more than 13.4 billion euros.

However, the growth of renewable electricity generation in Europe can be seen as positive. In 2023, this figure amounted to 43%, compared to 36% in 2022. Energy demand in southern Europe for air conditioning use was above average due to the heatwave, but heating demand also increased in Scandinavia due to several colder than normal months.