Europeans endured the hottest summer on record last year, with wildfires, floods and intense heatwaves hitting the continent, according to a report by EU scientists released Friday.
April 22 - Europeans endured the hottest summer on record last year, with wildfires, floods and intense heatwaves hitting the continent, according toSummer temperatures were about 1 degree Celsius above the average over the past three decades, with Italy even recording temperatures of 48.8C – a provisional record for the whole of Europe.
A particularly bad heatwave in the Mediterranean helped to ignite severe wildfires which burned more than 800,000 hectares in countries including Greece, Turkey, and Italy. Meanwhile, record rainfall led to devastating floods across Belgium and western Germany that killed more than 200 people.
Though countries pledged under the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre industrial levels, most have failed to make sufficient progress and last year global CO2 emissions rebounded strongly following a temporary COVID-19 pandemic-induced dip.
He said governments had made some progress in adapting to such events by creating natural flooding areas, but that cutting greenhouse gas emissions was the cheapest and most effective option to limit climate hazards. The report also found that 2021 sea surface temperatures in parts of the Baltic and Mediterranean sea were the highest since satellite records began in the early 1990s. “Parts of the Baltic were 5 Celsius above average, which is quite a lot for ,” said Freja Vamborg, a senior climate scientist at C3S.Reporting by Gloria Dickie and Kate Abnett; Editing by Alison WilliamsSubscribe to our sustainability newsletter to make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Europe suffered year of climate chaos in 2021 - EU reportEuropeans endured the hottest summer on record last year, with wildfires, floods and intense heatwaves hitting the continent, according to a report by EU scientists released Friday.
Read more »
Sharks to open next season with two games in EuropeNHL Global Series: San Jose Sharks will open next season with two games in the Czech Republic against the Nashville Predators
Read more »
What’s the impact if Europe cuts off Russian oil?Leaders are now discussing sanctions on Russian oil, including a possible boycott. Here is what such a move could mean for people in Europe and the rest of the world.
Read more »
Gulf Coast gas export frenzy raises tough questions for U.S., EuropeAs the Russian invasion of Ukraine feeds plans to expand American gas exports, anxiety is rising among environmentalists about the long-term impact.
Read more »
Google gives Europe a ‘reject all’ button for tracking cookies after fines from watchdogsEurope gets the option to 'reject all' of Google’s cookies
Read more »
EXPLAINER: What's the impact if Europe cuts off Russian oil?Europe is discussing a boycott of Russian oil over the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine. But what would that do to a global economy that's still rebounding from the pandemic? Here's what that could mean for people in Europe and the rest of the world:
Read more »