OBSERVER: European State of the Climate Report: Providing Detailed Data on Europe’s Changing Climate

Our climate is rapidly evolving in response to increased greenhouses gas concentrations in the atmosphere. Global temperatures have already risen by 1.2°C above the pre-industrial level, with Europe warming faster than the global average. In order to manage the risks associated with the increased extreme events in a warmer world, we need timely, transparent and detailed data on the world’s changing climate – which is exactly what the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) implemented by ECMWF and in particular it’s annual European State of the Climate (ESOTC) report provide.

A vital benchmark for climate assessments, the C3S flagship report presents clear, high-quality information on climate trends to support evidence-based decision-making. 

“By putting last year’s data in the context of long-term trends, the ESOTC gives us the opportunity to see beyond the immediate events and understand the bigger picture – something that is critical for taking meaningful actions to deal with a rapidly-changing climate,” says C3S Director Carlo Buontempo. 

Key indicators, insights and in-depth analysis of climate conditions 

Published on 20 April, the sixth edition of the ESOTC provides an update on key Climate Indicators and insights and in-depth analysis of climate conditions during 2022. As with previous editions, ESOTC 2022 focuses on Europe and the Arctic and includes analysis of the past year in a long-term context, alongside a detailed look at some of the key climate-related events of 2022. 

The report’s findings are based on data and expertise from across the C3S community, and from other Copernicus services and external partners. 

“C3S has a well-earned reputation for providing the quality assured climate data that policy-makers and decision-makers need in order to implement effective adaptation and mitigation measures,” adds Buontempo. 

Another year of extremes 

The latest data show that 2022 was yet another year of extremes for much of Europe. 

With temperatures reaching 1.4°C above average, Europe had its hottest summer ever recorded – 0.3-0.4°C warmer than 2021. “Such an extreme is better understood when put in the context of the 30-year trend, where European temperatures have increased by more than twice the global average; the highest rate of increase of any continent in the world,” notes Buontempo. 

Much of Europe endured prolonged and intense heatwaves last summer; the lack of precipitation in particular over the southwest regions during the winter which then extended to much of the continent, led to widespread drought in spring and summer. As a result, Portugal declared a severe drought while parts of the Po River completely dried up. In fact, for rivers in general, it was the driest year on record in terms of area affected, with 63% of rivers having below-average flow. The lack of precipitation, including winter snow, combined with the exceptional summer heatwaves, contributed not only to the drought, but also to a record loss of ice from glaciers in the Alps in 2022. 

Lakes and seas were also impacted, with 73% of Europe’s lakes recording warmer-than-average temperatures. Across Europe’s seas, the average sea surface temperatures were the warmest on record, and the Mediterranean Sea began to see much warmer than average temperatures in May with record-breaking marine heatwaves during summer.

Greenhouse gases concentration are up, ice sheet mass is down 

In addition to describing the evolution during the year of key variables and their interplay leading to extreme events, the ESOTC provides updates on greenhouse gases, along with other key Climate Indicators, such as sea level, sea ice, glacier and ice sheet melt and more. It does this by building on a wealth of data derived from in situ observations, satellites, models and reanalysis.

Globally, greenhouse gas concentration averages for the year as a whole were the highest ever measured by satellite and, based on additional data sources, the highest for at least hundreds of thousands of years. Throughout 2022, concentrations of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CH4 (methane) continued to increase, reaching record levels. While the increase in CO2 was comparable to what has been seen in previous years, the increase in CH4 was significantly higher than the average of the last 10 years. 

In the Arctic, the Svalbard region experienced its warmest summer on record and Greenland’s September surface air temperatures reached record levels at more than 8°C higher than the September average. While September is generally a month where snowfall is typical, this year heavy rain was more common. This combination of increased temperatures and rainfall contributed to the record melting of the Greenland ice sheet.

The data are clear

The full ESOTC 2022 report, which serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, climate-specialised journalists, professionals working in climate-sensitive sectors, and scientists can be found on the C3S website.

“The data are clear, the climate is changing, and this change is having a direct impact with often extreme consequences here in Europe, the Arctic and around the world,” concludes Buontempo. “It is up to us to use these data to drive strategies that will keep warming below the 1.5°C threshold needed to secure a liveable future.”

More information 

As with previous editions, C3S has prepared an interactive summary to complement the full report. The summary is geared towards those seeking a comprehensive overview of key global Climate Indicators, the climate situation in general, and the latest climate trends happening across Europe, the Arctic, and the globe as a whole. 

C3S has also updated its Climate Indicators webpage alongside the 2022 report, which describes the change in key variables at global level. 

Journalists can find more information, including a press kit, specialised summaries, and visual elements, via the press resources page of the C3S website. For more information, please contact copernicus-press@ecmwf.int. 

*The Copernicus Climate Change Service is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) with funding from the European Commission.