New Report Warns Of Europe's Intense Extreme Heat And Drought Challenges

A new comprehensive report from the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals that Europe, the fastest-warming continent, experienced a temperature increase of 2.3 degrees Celsius last year compared to pre-industrial times.

This rise in temperature has dire consequences, including more frequent and intense heat waves, devastating droughts, record-breaking sea-surface temperatures, and unprecedented glacier melt.

Europe's warming trend, which is twice the global average since the 1980s, resulted in the hottest summer on record and the warmest year on record for countries such as Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.

The global average temperature has risen by nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius since the mid-1800s, leading to a series of extreme weather events, including severe heat waves, intensified droughts, and more ferocious storms due to rising sea levels.

The most vulnerable populations and the world's poorest countries bear the brunt of these impacts, despite contributing little to the fossil fuel emissions that drive global temperature increase. However, the severity of these impacts is escalating worldwide, with rapid warming observed in northern hemisphere regions and polar areas.

In Europe, the high temperatures worsened widespread drought conditions, fueled violent wildfires that caused the second largest burnt area ever recorded, and resulted in thousands of heat-related deaths.

The report highlights that temperatures across the continent rose by 1.5 degrees Celsius between 1991 and 2021. Tragically, over 16,000 people lost their lives due to severe heat last year, and damages from extreme weather events, including floods and storms, amounted to 2 billion US dollars.

The report emphasises that these events are not isolated incidents but part of a pattern that will increase the frequency and intensity of heat stress across Europe. Copernicus Director Carlo Buontempo, states that these events are a foreseeable consequence of our current understanding of the climate system.

Economies and ecosystems have suffered as a result of rising temperatures. Glaciers in the Alps experienced record mass loss in 2022 due to low winter snow levels, a scorching summer, and deposits of Saharan dust carried by winds.

In the oceans, sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic reached record highs, while the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Baltic and Black Seas, and the southern Arctic warmed at rates over three times the global average. Marine heatwaves lasting up to five months affected various regions, displacing and harming species.

Below-average rainfall across much of Europe impacted agriculture, water reserves, and created favourable conditions for wildfires. France, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic witnessed some of the largest fires ever recorded in the region. The Spanish water reserve plummeted to less than half its capacity, and Germany experienced reduced cereal and grape harvests due to drought.

The drought also affected energy production, resulting in decreased hydroelectric power and reduced output from nuclear power stations dependent on water for cooling.

Despite these challenges, there is a glimmer of hope for a sustainable future. The report highlights that wind and solar power generated 22.3 percent of electricity in the European Union in 2022, surpassing fossil gas (20 percent) for the first time. The report states that "Solar and wind tend to complement each other throughout the year: solar radiation is higher in late spring and summer while wind intensity is usually higher in winter.”

While wind and rain patterns in Europe have not exhibited significant trends in the past three decades, there has been a notable increase in sunlight. In 2022, Europe experienced the highest amount of solar radiation since records began in 1983, further bolstering the potential for renewable energy sources.

Sources

https://www.thelocal.es/20230619/europe-faces-intense-extreme-heat-and-drought-new-report-warns
https://www.news24.com/fin24/climate_future/news/europe-is-worlds-fastest-warming-continent-climate-report-20230619