Temperatures in Europe have increased more than twice as much as the rest of the world over the past 30 years, according to a United Nations report. While many European countries have successfully been cutting emissions, the frequency and intensity of heat extremes on the continent are expected to keep increasing.
From 1991 to 2021, temperatures over Europe warmed at an average of 0.5 degrees Celsius per decade, while the global average was just 0.2 degrees Celsius, the report by the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation found.
"Europe presents a live picture of a warming world and reminds us that even well prepared societies are not safe from impacts of extreme weather events," WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas said in a statement.
Heatwave hotspot
The report comes on the back of a summer of extremes in Europe, with record-breaking heatwaves, raging wildfires and a rapidly warming Mediterranean.
It found that Alpine glaciers lost 30 metres in ice thickness between 1997 and 2021, while the Greenland ice sheet is melting quickly and contributing to accelerating sea level rise.
Last year, Greenland experienced melting and the first-ever recorded rainfall at its highest point.
Some scientists are calling Europe a "heatwave hotspot" as the number of extreme temperature events on the continent increases faster than in other regions due to changes in atmospheric circulation.
Temperatures in Europe increased by the highest of any continent over the last 30 years. The #StateOfClimate in Europe presents a live picture of a warming world.
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) November 2, 2022
Press release👉 https://t.co/fvRzBUauOL
🤝@CopernicusECMWF pic.twitter.com/KRvhGiHOOv
Why is Europe so impacted?
The reason Europe is warming faster than elsewhere has to do with the fact that a large part of the continent is in the sub-Arctic and Arctic.
The WMO divides the world into six regions, with "Europe" comprising 50 countries and half of the Arctic, the fastest warming place on Earth.
Scientists also say Europe is impacted by climate feedbacks, which exacerbate existing phenomena. For example, fewer clouds over Europe during the summer has meant more sun – and heat – hits the earth, heating it even more.
The report also pointed to European countries’ success in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union reduced emissions by 31 percent between 1990 and 2020, and aims to cut them by 55 percent by 2030.
Europe is also one of the most advanced regions when it comes to cross-border cooperation towards climate change adaptation, the report said, pointing to the deployment of early warning systems that have protected about 75 percent of the population.
Vulnerability to rising temperatures
However, the report cautioned that regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario, the "frequency and intensity of hot extremes ... are projected to keep increasing".
Europe is particularly vulnerable to heat, with its dense urbanisation and ageing population.
Other health concerns include the shift in the production and distribution of pollens and spores that appear to be leading to increases in various allergies.
About a quarter of adults and 30-40 percent of children living in the European region suffer from allergies, including severe asthma.
The warming climate is also causing more vector-borne diseases, the report said.
Ticks infected with Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis are moving into new areas, and Asian tiger mosquitoes moving further north, carrying the risk of Zika, dengue and chikungunya.
(with wires)
