Europe is the fastest-warming continent, impacting millions

In Europe Weather and climate-related economic losses in 2023 are estimated at more than €13.4 billion.

New Delhi: Europe is the fastest warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average rate as per the new report released by Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

As per the report, “European State of the Climate report (ESOTC 2023)” millions of people were impacted by extreme weather events, with “2023 saw a record number of days with ‘extreme heat stress”.

The report mentioned that the three warmest years on record, for Europe, have all occurred since 2020, and the ten warmest since 2007.

For the year (2023) as a whole, the average sea-surface temperature (SST) for the ocean across Europe was the warmest on record, while, parts of the Mediterranean Sea and the northeastern Atlantic Ocean saw their highest annual average SST on record.

Impacts of climate change on health:-

The report underscores the profound impact of heat stress on public health, with mortality increased by around 30%, and heat-related deaths estimated to have increased by 94% in the last 20 years.

“This trend is particularly concerning, given that Europe is seeing an increasing number of days with at least ‘strong heat stress’, and in 2023 experienced a record number of days with ‘extreme heat stress’ it said.

The report said last year in Europe, 63 lives were unfortunately lost due to storms, 44 to floods and 44 to wildfires. “Weather- and climate-related economic losses in 2023 are estimated at more than €13.4 billion,” it said.

Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said “The climate crisis is the biggest challenge of our generation.

The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is much higher. As this report shows, we need to leverage science to provide solutions for the good of society.”

Flooding across Europe:-

During 2023, one-third of the European river network saw river flows exceeding the ‘high’ flood threshold, and 16% exceeding the ‘severe’ flood threshold.

According to preliminary estimates, flooding in 2023 affected an estimated 1.6 million people in Europe and caused around 81% of the year’s economic losses due to climate impacts on the continent.

In 2023, there was a below-average number of days with snow in Europe, particularly across central Europe and the Alps during winter and spring. This, along with high temperatures during summer, has contributed to a net loss of glacier ice in all parts of Europe.

The most drastic example of this is the Alps, which has seen glaciers lose around 10% of their remaining volume between 2022 and 2023.