Europe is the continent warming the fastest. The annual report on the state of the climate in Europe, published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), concludes that last year was the warmest in Europe's recorded history.
More than half of the territory experienced record temperatures. In July, the southeast endured the longest heatwave in history, lasting 13 consecutive days and affecting 55% of the region. Days with thermal stress, meaning a sensation equal to or above 46°C, totaled almost a month; while tropical nights, when the minimum temperature does not drop below 20°C, continue to increase each year, reaching twelve in 2024.
"Every fraction of a degree increase in temperature matters, as it accentuates risks to our lives, economies, and planet. Adaptation is essential," says Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the WMO. According to Florence Rabier, Director-General of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, "the data highlights the importance of increasing resilience." 51% of European cities have already adopted specific climate adaptation plans, a notable progress from 26% in 2018.
However, Europeans also experienced very different weather and climates depending on their place of residence. While the eastern zone recorded dry, sunny, and extremely warm conditions, the western zone had cloudier and wetter conditions. For example, in Spain, temperatures in 2024 were not particularly high compared to those in 2022 or 2023.
That's why last year also ranked among the top ten rainiest in Europe since 1950. Storms and floods affected 413,000 people, with 335 fatalities, 228 of them after the October storm in Valencia. According to the report, Europe had not experienced such widespread flooding since 2013. 30% of the river network exceeded the high flood threshold, while 12% exceeded the severe flood threshold.
Other data highlighted by the Copernicus Service is that sea surface temperatures were also the highest ever recorded, exceeding the average by 0.7°C. In the Mediterranean, temperatures were 1.2°C above average. At the same time, all European regions saw less ice. The glaciers in Scandinavia and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard lost the largest areas on record.
The European report also mentions the forest fires in Portugal, which burned about 110,000 hectares in a week, representing a quarter of the annual burned area on the continent. An estimated 42,000 people were affected by the forest fires in Europe in 2024.
The report emphasizes that, with these results, Europe is where the repercussions of climate change are most evident. However, Víctor Resco de Dios, a professor of Forestry Engineering and Global Change at the University of Lleida, points out in statements to the Science Media Centre (SMC): "Neither floods nor fires are a direct result of climate change. Climate change only affects the climate and increases the likelihood of extreme weather events. However, phenomena like the catastrophic floods in Valencia or the mega-fires in Portugal depend on the interaction between climate and land management. This distinction is not trivial, given that climate change is here to stay, and despite that, we can do a lot to reduce the risk of floods and mega-fires. We are justifying our leaders' inaction in preventing natural disasters. If it were solely due to the climate, nothing could be done, at least in the short term."
The positive news from the report is that the proportion of electricity generated from renewable sources in Europe reached a historic high, at 45%, surpassing the previous record of 43% in 2023. The number of EU countries where renewables generate more electricity than fossil fuels has almost doubled since 2019, from 12 to 20, reflecting the continent's efforts towards decarbonization.