Europe has been warming faster than any other continent in recent decades, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization.
The European State of the Climate 2022 report showed that over the past eight years, global temperatures have consistently reached record highs, making it the warmest period on record.
In 2022, it was the fifth-warmest year globally and notably, various regions across the world witnessed unprecedented temperature levels.
Europe, in particular, experienced its warmest summer ever recorded, surpassing the previous record set in 2021 by 0.3–0.4C.
Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, endured scorching heatwave conditions, with temperatures exceeding 40C (104F) for the first time.
Additionally, the average sea surface temperature surrounding Europe's seas reached an all-time high.
Weather events led to the deaths of 16,000 people on the continent last year, 99.6% due to heatwaves.
Between 1993 and 2022, the global mean sea level experienced a rise of approximately 9.7 centimeters (3.9 inches).
The report also showed that there is an ongoing acceleration in the rate of sea level rise, with the past decade witnessing an average increase of 4.2 millimeters per year.
Carlo Buontempo, director of the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated that they anticipate the rise in temperatures to continue.
"Unfortunately, this cannot be considered as a one-time event or an anomaly in the climate," said Buontempo, stressing that extreme heatwaves are likely to occur more frequently and intensively.
