Europe is the continent that is warming the most.More and more heat-related deaths, and in the meantime goodbye to the glaciers

In Europe, 2023 was the warmest or second warmest year on record.And while 'extreme heat stress' phenomena (and deaths) increase, glaciers continue to lose volume

ROME – Europe is the continent that is warming most rapidly, with an increase in temperatures of approximately double the global average.So on our continent, 2023 was the hottest or second hottest year ever recorded, depending on the data set you refer to. Temperatures were above average for 11 months of the year, including the warmest September on record.Once again it worries the close frequency of records:the three warmest years recorded in Europe have all occurred since 2020 and the ten warmest since 2007.The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), today publishes the European State of the Climate 2023 (ESOTC 2023) report.

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In 2023, the impacts of climate change continued to manifest themselves across Europe, with millions of people affected by extreme weather events, making the development of mitigation and adaptation measures a priority.Last year saw a record number of days with 'extreme heat stress'.There is a trend towards an increase in the number of days with at least 'severe heat stress' across Europe.Heat-related mortality – Copernicus and WMO continue – has increased by around 30% in the last 20 years and it is estimated that heat-related deaths increased in 94% of the European regions monitored.

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For the entire year, the average sea surface temperature in Europe was the highest ever recorded. Parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the northeast Atlantic Ocean recorded the highest annual average sea surface temperatures ever recorded, the report reads.In June, the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland and around the UK was hit by a marine heatwave classified as 'extreme' and in some areas 'beyond extreme', with sea surface temperatures of up to 5 degrees above average.

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Last year, as noted by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in the report on the European State of the Climate 2023 (ESOTC 2023), Europe as a whole recorded around 7% more precipitation than average.And so last year a third of the European river network recorded river flows higher than flood threshold 'high' and 16% exceeded the 'severe' flood threshold.

Bad snow:last winter much of Europe experienced a lower than average number of snow days, particularly in central Europe and the Alps during winter and spring, ESOTC 2023 summarizes.In 2023, the Alps recorded an exceptional loss of ice in glaciers, linked to lower-than-average winter snow accumulation and strong summer melting due to heat waves.In the period 2022-2023, the glaciers of the Alps lost around 10% of their residual volume.
“The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our generation.The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is much higher.As this report shows, we must harness science to provide solutions for the good of society,” warns Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organization.

“In 2023, Europe witnessed the largest fire ever recorded, one of the wettest years, severe marine heat waves and devastating widespread flooding.Temperatures continue to rise, making our data increasingly critical to prepare for the impacts of climate change,” adds Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The year 2023 was the sixth warmest on record for the Arctic as a whole, ESOTC 2023 reports.For the Arctic lands it was the fifth warmest, just after 2022.The five warmest years on record for the Arctic have all occurred since 2016.

Arctic sea ice extent remained below average for much of 2023.At its annual high in March, the monthly extension was 4% below average, ranking fifth among the lowest on record.At its annual low in September, the monthly extension ranked sixth, 18% lower than average.
Total carbon emissions from forest fires in sub-Arctic and Arctic regions – the occurrence of which is a worrying phenomenon in itself – were the second highest on record.Most high-latitude fires occurred in Canada between May and September.

The year has seen the only positive element in a disheartening picture a record percentage of electricity production from renewable sources in Europe, equal to 43%.The increase in storm activity between October and December has resulted in higher-than-average wind energy production potential.Riverine hydropower generation potential was above average across much of Europe throughout the year, thanks to above-average rainfall and river flow.For the whole year, solar photovoltaic energy production potential was below average in northwestern and central Europe, and above average in southwestern and southern Europe and in Fennoscandia, the Finno-Scandinavian peninsula.

The European State of the Climate 2023 (ESOTC) report highlights the profound impact of heat stress on public health. Heat stress it is a measure of how the human body responds toimpact of high temperatures combined with other factors such as humidity and wind speed, among others.Prolonged exposure to heat stress can exacerbate existing health conditions and increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly among vulnerable populations.

In addition to the health challenges that heat waves pose, there are other extreme weather events that have had a major impact on people in Europe in 2023.According to preliminary estimates for 2023 from the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), last year in Europe unfortunately 63 people died due to storms, 44 from floods and 44 from fires.Economic losses related to weather and climate conditions in 2023 are estimated at over 13.4 billion euros.
The summer of 2023 was not the hottest on record, but it did see sometimes extreme conditions.There were contrasts in temperature and precipitation across the continent and from month to month.The 'prolonged summer' (June to September) saw heat waves, fires, droughts and floods.
During 2023, Europe's river network experienced massive river flows.In the main river basins, including the Loire, Rhine and Danube, record or near-record flows were recorded, due to a series of storms between October and December.According to preliminary estimates from the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), in 2023 floods affected around 1.6 million people in Europe and caused around 81% of the year's economic losses due to climate impacts on the continent.