Europe named ‘fastest-warming continent’ in latest climate change report

From heatwaves to wildfires and shrinking crystal cover, Europe is facing a ‘severe’ interaction from clime change, UN assemblage says.

Nearly each of Europe experienced above-average yearly temperatures successful 2025, a twelvemonth that included record-high marine temperatures and wildfires from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The United Nations assemblage released its findings connected Wednesday successful a associated study produced with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), coating a grim representation of climate alteration successful the region.

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“Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and the impacts are already severe. Almost the full portion has seen above-average yearly temperatures,” said Florian Pappenberger, director-general of the ECMWF, including drought conditions successful May 2025.

Hot and adust conditions crossed the portion helped substance wildfires past twelvemonth that burned much than 1 cardinal hectares (2.5 cardinal acres) of onshore – astir the size of Cyprus – and astir 70 percent of European rivers recorded below-average yearly flows, the study said.

Strong marine heatwaves were besides observed crossed overmuch of the continent, spiking successful waters of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland and successful respective spots astir the Mediterranean, according to a representation shared with the report.

A fig of the astir important changes were seen successful Europe’s coldest regions, arsenic sub-Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland recorded a 21-day heatwave – their worst connected grounds – successful July 2025.

During that period, temperatures reached 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and higher astir the Arctic Circle, the study said.

Snow screen crossed Europe besides fell by astir 30 percent to 1.32 cardinal quadrate kilometres (509,655 quadrate miles) successful March 2025, equivalent to a nonaccomplishment of territory spanning France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria combined, the study said.

Glacier nonaccomplishment was recorded crossed Europe, with the second-largest nonaccomplishment connected grounds observed successful Iceland.

“The [2025 report] paints a stark picture: The gait of clime alteration demands much urgent action,” said Samantha Burgess, strategical pb for clime astatine ECMWF.

“With rising temperatures, wide wildfires and drought, the grounds is unequivocal; clime alteration is not a aboriginal threat, it is our contiguous reality,” Burgess said.