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5h ago

Europe Logged Record Heat, Wildfires and Hot Seas in 2025, Climate Report Finds

Scientists say the continent is warming roughly twice the global pace.

A man enjoys a drink, on a hot summer day, in central Cologne, Germany, July 1, 2025. REUTERS/Stelios Misinas
Glaciers in the European Alps are projected to continue to lose mass this century, regardless of the emission scenario, according to the European State of the Climate report.
Switzerland's glaciers, which are disproportionately impacted by climate change, have shed a quarter of their mass in the past decade alone, a study warns
Large parts of western and southern Europe were hit with two significant heatwaves in June, including most of Spain, Portugal, France and southern parts of Britain

Overview

  • An annual assessment released Wednesday by the WMO and the EU’s Copernicus service found at least 95% of Europe had above-average temperatures in 2025, with the United Kingdom, Norway and Iceland setting national heat records.
  • Researchers estimate nearly 63,000 people died from heat across Europe in 2024, highlighting growing health risks as heatwaves lengthen and intensify.
  • More than half of the continent fell into drought in May and 2025 ranked among the driest years for soil moisture since 1992, which helped drive wildfire burn scars beyond 1 million hectares, the largest annual area on record.
  • European seas recorded their hottest annual average for the fourth straight year with strong marine heatwaves across 86% of regional waters, and the Greenland Ice Sheet lost about 139 gigatons of ice.
  • Wind and solar in the EU edged out fossil fuels in 2025 and renewables supplied nearly half of Europe’s electricity, according to energy think tank Ember.