What does the Arctic have to do with it
In 2023, Europe had its warmest year on record. The continent's average temperature was 1 degree Celsius higher than the 1991-2020 average, according to a report on the state of the climate in Europe prepared by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the EU's Copernicus programme. However, the most important finding of the study is that while global temperatures increased by 1.4 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, in Europe they increased by 2.6 degrees Celsius.
Since the 1980s, Europe has warmed twice as fast as the global average. This process occurs fastest in this part of the world. This is mainly due to the fact that most of the European lands are located in the Arctic — a region that is warming at the fastest rate on Earth.
Europe is generally located at fairly high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere, and, in addition, part of the continent includes the territory above the Arctic Circle.
“Since the poles— This is the area that is warming the most on the planet; when averaging temperatures in Europe, which includes part of the Arctic, the temperature rises more,” — explains Joaquin Muñoz, responsible for satellite climate monitoring at Copernicus.
The 2023 Copernicus report found that almost all regions of Europe experienced above-average temperatures for most of the year, with the exception of Scandinavia, Iceland and Greenland. It was the second warmest autumn, and November temperatures were 6 degrees Celsius above the average for Eastern Europe and the Arctic.
What explains the fact that new records were set in 2023? The main reason — increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, warming caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, as explained by Joaquin Muñoz. Record emissions of carbon dioxide and methane were again recorded in 2023.
One of the consequences of this was the spread of abnormal heat. Europe has experienced 23 of the 30 worst heat waves in recent years since 2000. And in 2023, a record number of days with “extreme heat stress” was reached, which is equivalent to temperatures exceeding 46 degrees Celsius.
Extreme weather events have exceptionally increased river flows due to storms between October and December. According to preliminary estimates, in 2023 in Europe, 63 people died as a result of storms, 44 — as a result of floods and the same number as a result of forest fires. And 1.6 million people suffered from floods alone.
“Climate crisis— this is the greatest problem of our generation. The cost of taking action may be high, but the cost of inaction is much higher,” — explains WMO Director-General Celeste Saulo.
The number of snow days was below average, especially in Central Europe and the Alps in winter and spring. This, combined with high temperatures in summer, has caused glaciers across Europe to become smaller. In the Alps, these losses amounted to 10 percent of those recorded in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, the Copernicus seasonal forecast indicates that summer temperatures will be above normal for this time of year. p>
«If we take into account that the main factor causing the increase in temperature is the concentration of greenhouse gases, then in 2024 we will have an even hotter summer; however, we must take into account that in 2023 El Niño and other factors have influenced temperatures, so we cannot guarantee that it will be the hottest summer in the world. The transition to a neutral state or La Niña does not guarantee a decrease in temperature,” — notes a Copernicus representative.
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