LONDON, Nov 2 – Europe has warmed more than twice as much as the rest of the world in the past three decades and is experiencing the largest increase in temperature of any continent, according to a report from the World Meteorological Organization.
The report on the state of Europe’s climate comes after a summer of extremes. The United Kingdom is suffering an unprecedented heat wave, Alpine glaciers are disappearing at a rate never seen before and a prolonged marine heat wave is warming the waters of the Mediterranean.
“Europe shows a clear picture of a warming world and reminds us that even well-prepared societies are not safe from the effects of extreme weather events,” said the Secretary- WMO General Petteri Taalas in a statement.
According to the report, between 1991 and 2021 the temperature in Europe warmed an average of 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade, while the global average was only 0.2 degrees Celsius.
Last year, extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change – mainly floods and hurricanes – caused damage of more than $50 billion in Europe.
The reason that Europe is warming faster than other continents has to do with the fact that a large part of the continent is located in the subarctic and arctic – the fastest warming regions on Earth – as well as of climate feedback changes, scientists say.
For example, fewer clouds in Europe during the summer bring more sunlight and heat to the continent, said Freja Vamborg, senior scientist at the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Some scientists call Europe a “heat wave hotspot,” because the number of heat waves on the continent has increased faster than in other regions due to changes in atmospheric circulation.
Although the temperature is rising, the European Union has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 31% between 1990 and 2020, according to the report, and aims to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030.
