Nearly all of Europe experienced above-average annual temperatures in 2025, a year that included record-high marine temperatures and wildfires from the Arctic to the Mediterranean, according to a joint report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and the impacts are already severe. Almost the whole region has seen above-average annual temperatures,” said Florian Pappenberger, director-general of the ECMWF, noting drought conditions in May 2025.

Hot and dry conditions fueled wildfires that burned over 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of land – roughly the size of Cyprus – and about 70 percent of European rivers recorded below-average annual flows, the report said.

Strong marine heatwaves were observed across much of the continent, spiking in waters of the Atlantic Ocean near the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland and in several spots around the Mediterranean.

A number of the most significant changes were seen in Europe’s coldest regions, as sub-Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland recorded a 21-day heatwave – their worst on record – in July 2025. During that period, temperatures reached 30°C (86°F) and higher around the Arctic Circle.

Snow cover across Europe also fell by nearly 30 percent to 1.32 million square kilometers (509,655 square miles) in March 2025, equivalent to a loss of territory spanning France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria combined. Glacier loss was recorded across Europe, with the second-largest loss on record observed in Iceland.

“The [2025 report] paints a stark picture: The pace of climate change demands more urgent action,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at ECMWF. “With rising temperatures, widespread wildfires and drought, the evidence is unequivocal; climate change is not a future threat, it is our present reality.”

Source: www.aljazeera.com