Europe has already warmed by more than 2°C during the industrial era – far faster than the world as a whole, climate experts revealed on Monday.
The continent saw its hottest ever summer in 2022 and a record loss of glaciers in the Alps.
More than 16,000 people are believed to have died because of heatwaves across Europe last year.
The findings in a report by the World Meteorological Organisation were described as “part of a pattern” of rising threats linked to climate change.
The report came on the day that Germany extended its first heat warnings of the year to almost the whole country, saying temperatures could rise as high as 34°C or 35°C. Britain faces water restrictions as Europe counts the cost of ever-increasing CO2 emissions.
Scientists are also investigating whether global warming is to blame for an anomaly in the North Atlantic in which sea surface temperatures have been at record highs for the time of year.
Human activity has warmed the Earth by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial age, scientists say. The aim of limiting global warming to 1.5°C will be at the centre of discussions at the Cop28 summit in Dubai.
Europe has warmed more quickly than the global average and is already 2.3°C above the pre-industrial baseline, exposing it to floods, droughts, extreme heat and a loss of agricultural production.
The trend is attributed to several factors, including melting Arctic sea ice within Europe’s boundaries and the fact that land masses such as the European continent heat up faster than water.
Last summer’s heatwaves in Europe “cannot be considered a one-off occurrence or an oddity of the climate”, said Carlo Buontempo, the director of the Copernicus climate monitoring service.
“Our current understanding of the climate system and its evolution informs us that these kinds of events are part of a pattern that will make heat stress extremes more frequent and more intense across the region,” he said.
Britain saw temperatures rise above 40°C for the first time ever last July. In Germany, a lack of rainfall brought freight traffic to a standstill along the dried-up River Rhine.
Farms and orchards were hit by extreme weather in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Austria, resulting in crop losses.
The WMO’s secretary general Petteri Taalas said the hot weather worsened “severe and widespread drought conditions” experienced in Europe last summer.
In addition, it “fuelled violent wildfires that resulted in the second largest burnt area on record, and led to thousands of heat-associated excess deaths,” he said.
The WMO’s report said:
· Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world;
· Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland had their hottest years on record in 2022;
· Alpine glaciers shrank at the fastest rate ever, caused by warm weather and a lack of winter snow;
· Snow and rainfall were low in many areas, with a fourth dry year in a row in Spain and Portugal;
· The rate of ocean warming in Europe’s seas was more than three times the global average;
· Marine heatwaves, which can displace or even kill species, lasted for up to five months in the western Mediterranean Sea, the English Channel and the southern Arctic.
Europe's 2022 heatwaves and drought - in pictures
The current year started with 20°C conditions in Switzerland and a record 32-day streak without rainfall in France, adding to fears of a renewed summer drought.
Drought and water scarcity are regarded by a UN panel as two of the four main climate threats to Europe, along with flooding and extreme heat.
The WMO’s report said one “sign of hope for the future” was that renewable energy had overtaken natural gas for the first time as a source of electricity generation in Europe.
Many countries are expanding their wind and solar energy sectors in order to meet climate goals and reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Increasing use of renewables and low-carbon energy sources is crucial to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and provides an important contribution towards climate neutrality and mitigation of human-induced climate change,” Mr Taalas said.
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Profile of Udrive
Date started: March 2016
Founder: Hasib Khan
Based: Dubai
Employees: 40
Amount raised (to date): $3.25m – $750,000 seed funding in 2017 and a Seed round of $2.5m last year. Raised $1.3m from Eureeca investors in January 2021 as part of a Series A round with a $5m target.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Aggro%20Dr1ft
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Harmony%20Korine%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jordi%20Molla%2C%20Travis%20Scott%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE Falcons
Carly Lewis (captain), Emily Fensome, Kelly Loy, Isabel Affley, Jessica Cronin, Jemma Eley, Jenna Guy, Kate Lewis, Megan Polley, Charlie Preston, Becki Quigley and Sophie Siffre. Deb Jones and Lucia Sdao – coach and assistant coach.
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
if you go
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.6-litre%2C%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E285hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E353Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh159%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
FULL%20RESULTS
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Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Saturday's results
Brighton 1-1 Leicester City
Everton 1-0 Cardiff City
Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace
Watford 0-3 Liverpool
West Ham United 0-4 Manchester City
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
SPECS
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