Europe endured unprecedented heatwaves, its largest wildfire, and record-high sea surface temperatures in 2025, according to the European State of the Climate 2025 report published by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization. Virtually no part of the continent was left untouched by extreme weather.
At least 95% of Europe saw above-average annual temperatures, with the United Kingdom, Norway, and Iceland recording their warmest year ever. The continent was hit by several heatwaves, one lasting 25 days and affecting multiple countries. Northern Europe's sub-Arctic region across Norway, Sweden, and Finland experienced 21 days of extreme heat stress, compared to the usual two days. Spain endured its most intense heatwave since at least 1975.
Sea surface temperatures across the European region reached their highest annual average on record for the fourth consecutive year, wreaking havoc on marine biodiversity, causing mass mortality events and disrupting food webs. Heat-related deaths in Europe reached nearly 63,000 in 2024, according to the Lancet Countdown report. Mortality linked to high temperatures has increased in almost 100% of monitored regions since 2014.
2025 was a catastrophic year for wildfires in Europe, with over 1 million hectares burned. Greece witnessed one of its most severe wildfire outbreaks when 50 fires ignited in 24 hours. In May, more than half the continent experienced varying degrees of drought, and soil moisture conditions were the driest on record, reducing crop yields and increasing wildfire risk.
However, sunny conditions boosted solar energy. Every EU country expanded its solar grid in 2025. Wind and solar outpaced fossil fuels in the EU for the first time, according to energy think tank Ember. Solar power contributed about 13% of the continent's electricity, setting a new record for the fourth consecutive year of over 20% growth. In Hungary, Cyprus, Greece, Spain, and the Netherlands, solar represented a fifth of each country's electricity.
The report also highlighted glacier retreat across almost all European regions, with Iceland recording its second greatest annual ice loss since 1976. The Greenland Ice Sheet shed around 139 gigatons of ice. Over the past 50 years, ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica has led to 3 centimeters of sea level rise, each additional centimeter exposing about 6 million people to coastal flooding.
Source: www.dw.com