Europe experienced warmest year in 2024, regional impacts of climate change seen across continent: Report

The year 2024 was the warmest on record in Europe, with the climate seeing a pronounced east-west contrast: Extremely dry and often record-warm conditions were prevalent in the east while the west saw more warm but wet conditions, according to The European State of the Climate 2024.

The temperature rise has been unequal, with eastern and southern Europe bearing much of the brunt. The warming trend was seen in other parts of the continent too. Other areas have generally seen above-average temperatures for the year, barring Iceland and parts of Greenland which were the only areas with cooler than average temperature.

Overall, 45 per cent of days in the continent in 2024 were much warmer than average and 12 per cent of days were the warmest on record.

“Our findings says that Europe is the fastest warming continent, and it just experienced its warmest year on record,” Director-General, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Florence Rabier said at a press conference.  “When averaged over five years, the temperature in Europe is reaching at least 2.4°C above preindustrial times,” she added.