2022 summer Europe's all-time hottest, says report

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) — Europe sweltered under its hottest summer on record in 2022, said a yearly report by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service on Thursday.

"Globally, the last eight years have been the warmest on record, while in recent decades Europe has warmed faster overall than any other continent," the bloc's Earth observation program pointed out in a report.

The average temperature on the continent was around 2.2C above pre-industrial levels over the last five years, with 2022 being the second-warmest year on record, at 0.9C above the 1991-2020 average.

Apart from the high temperatures, Europe also experienced several extreme weather events last summer, including intense heatwaves, drought, and wildfires, it added.

"The report highlights alarming changes to our climate, including the hottest summer ever recorded in Europe, marked by unprecedented marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea and record-breaking temperatures in Greenland.

"Understanding the climate dynamics in Europe is crucial for our efforts to adapt and mitigate the negative impacts climate change has on the continent," the service's director Carlo Buontempo said on the findings.

The report also stressed that the below-average precipitation and exceptional heatwaves caused widespread and protracted drought that affected several sectors, including agriculture, river transport, and energy generation.

It added that the hot and dry conditions fed wildfires across Europe.