Europe: the hotspot of global warming
According to the latest report by the EU climate change service Copernicus, 2024 was the warmest year in Europe since weather records began. Worryingly, Europe has been warming around twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s.
Extreme weather events on the rise
This accelerated warming has led to an increase in extreme weather events. While south-eastern Europe suffered from prolonged heatwaves and droughts, parts of western Europe experienced heavy rainfall and flooding. In 2024 alone, over 400,000 people in Europe were directly affected by such extreme weather conditions.
Melting glaciers and rising sea temperatures
Rising temperatures have also led to an accelerated retreat of glaciers in Scandinavia, with an average loss of 1.8 meters of ice thickness in 2024. In addition, record temperatures have been measured in the Mediterranean, which has a significant impact on marine ecosystems.
The European seas, especially the Mediterranean, warmed up considerably - the temperature there rose by 1.2 degrees. The additional warmth drove evaporation, which led to unusually heavy rainfall in Western Europe. As a result, rivers burst their banks and at least 22 people died. In 2023, Europe experienced the worst flooding since 2013. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 30% of rivers exceeded flood limits, 12% even reached critical levels. Spain was also particularly affected - the heated Mediterranean favored extreme rainfall near Valencia. In total, floods affected over 400,000 people and at least 335 lost their lives.
2024 Warmest year since records began
According to the EU Copernicus program's climate change service, 2024 was the first year in which the global average temperature exceeded 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. On average, the warming was even 1.6 degrees compared to the reference period 1850-1900 - a new record. The oceans also recorded exceptionally high temperatures. Copernicus had already pointed out this trend in the previous months.
Urgent need for action
The data highlights the urgency with which Europe needs to take action to adapt to climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Although progress has already been made - for example, 45% of European electricity generation now comes from renewable sources - experts warn that without further acceleration of climate protection measures, the risks to people and the environment will increase significantly.
Europe is at the forefront of the global climate crisis. Current developments underline the need for decisive and joint action to limit the effects of climate change and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
Cities arm themselves against climate change
According to the Copernicus climate report, many regions in Europe face the threat of significantly more flooding in the future - in some areas, the risk of damage could increase tenfold. Large cities in particular are inadequately prepared for this, warns Andrew Ferrone from the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment and IPCC member: "There is an urgent need for action."
Specifically, cities are focusing on measures such as unsealing surfaces, planting trees and retention basins. Examples of successful change include Paris, Milan and Bratislava. "Europe's cities are making considerable progress," says Ferrone. "This strengthens their resilience to climate change."
