Europe declared ‘fastest-warming continent’ in latest climate change report

Nearly all of Europe experienced above-average temperatures in 2025, a year marked by record marine heat, widespread wildfires and accelerating climate impacts, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The findings, released on Wednesday in a joint report with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), paint a stark picture of the region’s rapidly changing climate.

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent, and the impacts are already severe,” said Florian Pappenberger, noting that almost the entire region recorded above-average temperatures, alongside drought conditions during May 2025.

Wildfires, drought and shrinking rivers

Hot and dry conditions fuelled widespread wildfires that burned more than 1 million hectares — roughly the size of Cyprus. At the same time, about 70% of Europe’s rivers recorded below-average annual flows, underscoring the extent of drought across the continent.

Record marine heatwaves

Strong marine heatwaves were observed across large parts of Europe, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean near the United Kingdom, Ireland and Iceland, as well as across the Mediterranean Sea.

Extreme heat in the Arctic region

Some of the most dramatic changes were recorded in Europe’s coldest regions. Sub-Arctic areas of Norway, Sweden and Finland experienced a record 21-day heatwave in July 2025, with temperatures crossing 30°C even near the Arctic Circle.

Snow and glacier loss

Snow cover across Europe dropped by nearly 30% in March 2025, shrinking to 1.32 million square kilometres — a loss comparable to the combined area of France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Glacier retreat was also widespread, with Iceland recording its second-largest loss on record.

‘Not a future threat’

“The pace of climate change demands more urgent action,” said Samantha Burgess.

“With rising temperatures, widespread wildfires and drought, the evidence is unequivocal — climate change is not a future threat, it is our present reality,” she added.