Photo: Oleg Senkov / Shutterstock.com
Climate change is causing unprecedented disruption and hardship for millions of Europeans, as evidenced by the widespread flooding and intense heatwaves that are becoming the new reality. A report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service warns that these events require urgent adaptation by countries.
Europe, in particular, is experiencing accelerated warming that has been especially evident during 2023, one of the warmest years on record for the continent that was characterized by an unprecedented number of days with “extreme thermal stress” conditions, marking an “upward trend” and an “extended summer” from June to September, which included heat waves, fires, droughts and floods, which has contributed to an increase in heat deaths above usual averages.
According to WMO data, the year 2023 was ranked as the warmest or second warmest year on record. Heat mortality has increased by approximately 30% in the last two decades, and heat-related deaths increased in 94% of the European regions monitored.
Although a precise estimate of heat deaths for 2023 has not yet been established, estimates suggest that between 55,000 and 72,000 people died due to heat waves in the years 2003, 2010 and 2022. Conclusions on the state of the climate in Europe in 2023 are a reflection of the global increase in climate shocks, and highlight how quickly Europe is warming.
“The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our generation,” declared Celeste Saulo, secretary general of this UN agency. “The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is much higher. As this report shows, we have to take advantage of science to provide solutions for the good of society.”
Record sea surface temperatures and glacial ice loss
During a decade of monitoring, it was discovered that both citizens and some health professionals have a low risk perception regarding the dangers of heat stroke. Early warning systems are designed to raise awareness of the imminence of extreme weather events and promote adequate preparation.
According to the WMO, land temperatures in Europe were above average in 11 of the 12 months of 2023, including the warmest September on record. The report also indicates that rainfall was 7% above average and that European river flows reached record levels in December, with “exceptionally high” flows in almost a quarter of the river network. During 2023, “high” flood thresholds were exceeded in a third of the European river network, and nearly one in seven rivers exceeded “severe” flood thresholds.
Global warming was also reflected in record sea surface temperatures in Europe, with an alarming “marine heatwave” in June in the Atlantic Ocean west of Ireland and around the United Kingdom, rated by the WMO as “extreme.” ” and in some areas “beyond the extreme.”
“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.
The report highlights a record increase in electricity generation through renewable technologies in Europe, driven by above-normal storm activity from October to December, resulting in above-average wind energy production. Also highlighted was above-average hydropower generation across much of Europe during 2023, linked to high rainfall and river flows.
Much of Europe also saw fewer snow days than average, particularly in central Europe and the Alps during winter and spring, leading to exceptional loss of glacial ice in the Alps, aggravated by strong summer melt. caused by heat waves, with which glaciers lost around 10% of their volume in 2022 and 2023.
Finally, the situation in the Arctic remains worrying, with 2023 marking the sixth warmest temperatures on record and Arctic sea ice extent remaining below average for most of the year. In addition, temperatures in the Arctic land masses were the fifth warmest on record, very close to those of 2022. “The five warmest years on record in the Arctic lands have all occurred since 2016,” the WMO noted.
On the other hand, total carbon emissions from wildfires in the subarctic and arctic regions were the second highest on record in 2023, the WMO said, related to high-latitude wildfires, most of which occurred in Canada between May and September.
Source: World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
