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The State of the Climate in Europe 2022

Earth’s climate system is complex. To simplify its complexity, the WMO uses seven climate indicators to observe Earth’s changing climate at global and regional levels and to understand how Earth’s climate is influenced by interactions involving the atmosphere, ocean, earth, clouds, ice, land and life. The State of the Climate in Europe 2022 offers a regional perspective of climate variability and its impacts on the European continent.

The Global Context

Before exploring the state of the climate in Europe, it is important to first know what the overall global climate looked like in 2022.

Atmospheric concentrations of the three major greenhouse gases (CO 2 , CH 4  and N 2 O) reached new record highs in 2021 and real-time data indicate that levels continued to increase in 2022. The global annual mean temperature in 2022 was around 1.15 ±0.13 °C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average, less warm than in some recent years owing to cooling La Niña conditions at the start and end of the year. Ocean heat content in 2022 was the highest on record. Ocean warming and accelerated loss of ice mass from the ice sheets contributed to global mean sea level rise, which also reached a record high in 2022. See more information on the  State of the Global Climate here .

What was the climate like in Europe in 2022?

Temperature Rise

Europe is the fastest-warming of all the WMO regions, warming twice as much as the global average since the 1980s.

In 2022, Europe was approximately 2.3 ± 0.2 °C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) average.

Changes in temperature can impact health, agriculture and energy demand, as well as growth cycles of other organisms.

2022 was between the second and fourth warmest year on record in the region, depending on the data set used.

The summer (June-August) was the warmest on record.

It is important to note that temperature does not rise equally everywhere.

Precipitation

Lack of precipitation (such as rain and snow) can lead to droughts, while excess can cause floods and/or higher soil moisture.

Precipitation was below average across much of Europe in 2022.

It was the fourth dry year in a row on the Iberian Peninsula, and the third consecutive dry year in the mountain regions of the Alps and Pyrenees.

Drier than normal conditions had grave impacts on the region's rivers.

Water levels on Europe’s second-largest river, the Rhine, dropped significantly following high temperatures and lack of rainfall, preventing many vessels from navigating through the waters at full capacity.

Swipe to see water levels in August 2021 vs. August 2022. Darker water colors indicate lower depth.

Following months without significant precipitation, the Po river also shrank, affecting crop, hydro and thermo-electric power production and allowing sea water to intrude nearly 40km inland.

Cryosphere

The cryosphere covers all the parts of the Earth system where water is in solid form, including ice sheets, ice shelves, glaciers, snow cover, permafrost (frozen ground), sea ice, and river and lake ice, all of which can be found within Europe.

Sea ice extent

The spread, or extent, of ice at the poles is measured by satellites.

At its annual minimum in September, monthly mean sea ice extent in the European Arctic was 6% below average, and remained consistently below average from October onwards.

Greenland Ice Sheet

In 2022, Greenland experienced the largest September melt in more than two decades.

Although official data for the whole year is not yet available, independent estimates indicate that the Greenland Ice Sheet continued to lose mass in 2022.

Glaciers

Glaciers gain mass (grow) by accumulating snow and lose mass (shrink) mainly due to surface melting -- through the air or against bodies of water.

European glaciers have lost a volume of about 880 km 3  of ice from 1997 to 2022.

Glaciers in the Alps recorded the largest ice losses over this period, with an average reduction in ice thickness of 34m.

In 2022, glaciers in the Alps experienced a new record mass loss, caused by very low winter snow amounts and a very warm summer.

Any change in the ice mass stored on land, such as when ice sheets and glaciers grow or shrink, has a direct impact on global mean sea level.

How much is sea level rising in Europe?

Sea level rise is measured by satellite altimetry.

Since 1993, global mean sea level has increased at an average rate of 3.4 ± 0.3 mm/year.

While this may not sound like much, it is important to remember that sea level isn't rising at the same rate everywhere.

On a regional scale for Europe, most areas are increasing around 2–4 mm/year.

Change in mean sea level is an essential indicator of our evolving climate, as it reflects both the loss of mass from ice sheets and glaciers and thermal expansion due to warming ocean temperatures.

Ocean Heat Content

Around 90% of the excess energy that accumulates in the earth system due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, goes into the ocean.

Ocean heat content varies across Europe, but heating is most evident in the Mediterranean Sea, reaching up to more than 2 W m –2  in the eastern basin.

Sea Surface Temperature

While ocean heat content provides information about warming at depth, the sea surface is the boundary between the ocean and atmosphere.

Sea surface temperature (SST) can be used to understand the flows of energy between the ocean and atmosphere, and hence the role of the oceans in shaping the weather and climate and vice versa.

2022 was the warmest on record for average SST across the North Atlantic area of the WMO Europe region following the long-term trend of an increase of 0.23 °C ± 0.04 °C per decade.

By comparison, global mean SST has increased over recent decades at a rate of 0.15 °C ± 0.01 °C per decade.

The highest rates of warming, exceeding the global mean warming rates by 3 to 4 times, are observed in the eastern part of the region, such as in the southern Arctic, the entire Baltic and Black Seas, and the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea.

Extreme Events

A variety of extreme and high impact events occurred in various parts of Europe in 2022. Swipe to see an overview and a few key examples, or use the interactive legend on the map below to filter by event type and click on each event for more details.

Heavy precipitation and floods

  • Storm Diomedes over the eastern Mediterranean caused heavy rain especially in Greece.
  • In central Italy, torrential rain triggered flooding in the Marche region on 15–16 September.
  • Heavy rain and hail caused severe damage in eastern and central Spain in November.
  • 12 December, Storm Gaia brought heavy rain of over 200 mm in 24 hours, causing flooding in parts of Antalya province in Türkiye.

Droughts

  • By the end of February, 96% of Portugal was under severe or extreme drought.
  • Italy declared a state of emergency for five regions, home to 42% of the Italian population.
  • Several locations on the Rhine River registered new local record low water levels.
  • Severe drought over the Syrian Arab Republic led to water deficits and nearly doubled food prices. 64% of the population faced food insecurity.

Marine heatwaves

  • The western Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel, the southern Arctic and the northern Barents and Kara Seas experienced heatwaves lasting 4-5 months.
  • In the Mediterranean Sea, sea-surface temperature anomalies reached values as high as +4.6 °C.

Click on the image to expand.

Heatwaves and wildfires

  • The temperature reached 40 °C in the United Kingdom for the first time.
  • Official estimates place the number of excess deaths at around 4 600 deaths in Spain, 4 500 in Germany, 2 800 in the United Kingdom (among those aged 65 years and older), 2 800 in France and 1 000 in Portugal.
  • Heat and drought fueled wildfires led to the second largest burnt area on record.

Cold waves, heavy snow and freezing

  • In south-eastern Türkiye, snowfall and cold temperatures on 18–19 January left vehicles stranded on a major highway, with aid being delivered by helicopters.
  • A severe winter storm named Elpida (or Elpis) affected Greece and Israel.
  • For the second consecutive year, widespread frosts in early April resulted in crop losses in western and central Europe

Severe windstorms

  • Storm Malik brought hurricane-force winds to northern and central Europe, leading to at least 6 deaths and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.
  • Storm Eunice led to at least 7 deaths across the UK, Ireland and Belgium and more than a million households in England and Wales lost power.
  • An exceptional derecho affected parts of southern and central Europe with 5 deaths and hail up to 8cm in diameter were reported.

Extreme events in Europe (RA VI) as reported by WMO Members. Red shading represents countries who have responded to survey with at least one event reported. Symbols represent different types of extreme events by color.

Climate Policy & Action

To comply with the  Paris Agreement , many European governments have committed to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2050–2070, with deep cuts in energy sector emissions.

Transitioning to a low-carbon energy system requires deploying clean energy technologies and infrastructure.

In 2022, wind and solar generated electricity overtook fossil gas and coal power for the first time.

This was due to a combination of factors, including a significant increase in solar power capacity installed, and the highest ever annual surface solar radiation recorded in 2022.

Despite this milestone, solar and wind only generated 22.3% of EU electricity in 2022.

There is therefore much more to be done in order to reach the recently agreed upon EU binding renewable energy target of 42.5% by 2030.

Renewable Energy Potential

Reaching EU energy commitments requires analysis of the associated meteorological variables – surface solar radiation, wind speed and precipitation.

☀️: Highest availability in Southern Europe

💨: Highest availability over the ocean, especially off the coast of Ireland and Portugal

🌊: Directly linked to European topography

Variability

As these renewable energy sources are intermittent in nature, it is important to also look at their variability, which is very different for the three meteorological variables that drive the potential for these energy sources. Variability is determined by comparing monthly means to long-term average.

Wind speed 💨: –40% to +80%

Precipitation 🌧️: ±30%

Surface solar ☀️: ±15%

Role of Climate Services

 Climate services  are essential for renewable energy, including for: site selection, resource assessment and financing; operations, maintenance, and management of energy systems; electricity integration into the grid; and impact/risk assessments of energy systems.

83% of WMO Members in Europe reported providing climate services for energy.

However, less than half of Members provide climate predictions for the energy sector.

This demonstrates the untapped potential of NMHSs in supporting energy transition, as well as the efforts required to ensure a greater resilience of the energy sector.

Overall, 2022 was another year of warming in Europe. Climate indicators showed the continued effect of human induced climate change on the atmosphere, land, sea and cryosphere.

The combination of exceptionally high temperatures in summer and severe drought had a significant impact on people and ecosystems, with more than 15000 excess deaths, drying rivers, record melting glaciers and devastating wildfires.

A transition to clean energy sources is progressing in Europe, with wind and solar power overtaking gas in 2022 for the first time. However, NMHSs need to enhance their role, especially in providing climate predictions to the energy sector.

WMO and Copernicus are ready to work closely with Members to accelerate the energy transition in Europe to meet the goal of 42.5% renewable energy by 2030.

© World Meteorological Organization, 2023

WMO uses datasets developed and maintained by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the United Kingdom’s Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in the United Kingdom.

It also uses reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and its Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency. This method combines millions of meteorological and marine observations, including from satellites, with models to produce a complete reanalysis of the atmosphere. The combination of observations with models makes it possible to estimate temperatures at any time and in any place across the globe, even in data-sparse areas such as the polar regions.

Internationally recognized datasets are used for all other key climate indicators. Full details are available in the State of the Climate in Europe report.

Data Visualization

Claire Ransom