Amid EU climate shift, cities face more floods, extreme heat
Brussels: No other continent is warming as quickly as Europe. The European State of the Climate 2024 report, released Tuesday, shows that the continent broke countless temperature records last year, with extreme weather upending the lives of nearly half a million people.
The report, put together by around 100 researchers from the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organisation, shows that the average temperature across Europe has increased by roughly 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3 Fahrenheit) since the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century. Except for Iceland, where it was cooler than average, the entire continent saw above-average temperatures.
Globally, the average temperature has increased by 1.3 Celsius, making 2024 the warmest since weather records began.
'Ocean temperatures were exceptionally high, sea levels continued to rise, ice sheets and glaciers continued to melt,' said Samantha Burgess, one of the report's lead authors, speaking with reporters.
'All this as atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases continued to increase, reaching record levels again in 2024. Since the 1980s, Europe has been warming at twice the global average rate,' she added.
Floods, extreme heat endangering people, cities
The record temperatures had wide-ranging consequences in 2024. 'It's not just a global average temperature number. It really has an impact at the regional and local scale,' said Florence Rabier, the director-general of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which contributes to Copernicus.
Whether by floods, heat waves, storms or drought, the lives of Europe's roughly 750 million people are being increasingly shaped by extreme weather — fuelled by human-caused climate change.
Major flooding in Spain's Valencia region last October and November killed more than 220 people. The amount of heavy rain, which smashed all previous records in only a few hours, left behind destroyed homes, cars and infrastructure, with the Spanish government so far pledging €16 billion ($18 billion) in reconstruction aid and compensation.
Just one month earlier, persistent rainfall from Storm Boris caused extensive flooding in towns and cities in eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe. An estimated 413,000 people were affected across Europe last year due to floods and storms, with some 335 losing their lives.
At the same time, Europe sweltered through the second-highest number of days with extreme heat stress ever recorded. Eastern Europe, in particular, was especially hot and dry, and Southern Europe saw lengthy droughts, even in the winter months.
Europe — and especially cities — need to adapt to changing climate
'Every additional fraction of a degree of temperature rise matters, because it accentuates the risks to our lives, to economies and to the planet,' said Celeste Saulo, the head of the World Meteorological Organisation. 'Adaptation is a must.'
Despite the worrying weather trends, global planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase. But Tuesday's report does highlight one glimmer of good news: in 2024, renewable energy production in Europe hit a new high, with some 45% of energy coming from climate-friendly sources like solar, wind and biomass.
But when it comes to living with the increasing risk of extreme weather and heat stress, the report warned that European countries needed to strengthen early warning systems and climate adaptation measures — as soon as possible.
According to Burgess, long-term global warming over 1.5 degrees Celsius could contribute to at least 30,000 additional deaths in Europe due to extreme heat by 2100.
Researchers noted that just over half of European cities have now adopted dedicated climate adaptation plans to confront extreme weather and protect their citizens — up from 26% just seven years ago.
Paris, Milan, Glasgow and cities in the Netherlands are leading the way. Among other initiatives, city leaders are creating facilities to protect people from extreme heat, expanding green spaces to help cool urban areas and building out flood protection measures.
© Muscat Media Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Gulf Today
School's out: climate change keeps Pakistan students home
Pakistan's children are losing weeks of education each year to school closures caused by climate change-linked extreme weather, prompting calls for a radical rethink of learning schedules. Searing heat, toxic smog and unusual cold snaps have all caused closures that are meant to spare children the health risks of learning in classrooms that are often overcrowded and lack basic cooling, heating or ventilation systems. In May, a nationwide heatwave saw temperatures up to seven degrees Celsius above normal, hitting 45C (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in Punjab and prompting several provinces to cut school hours or start summer holidays early. "The class becomes so hot that it feels like we are sitting in a brick kiln," said 17-year-old Hafiz Ehtesham outside an inner city Lahore school. Students attend classes at a rural area, on the outskirts of Sukkur, Sindh on May 27, 2025. "I don't even want to come to school." Pakistan is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, with limited resources for adaptation, and extreme weather is compounding an existing education crisis caused mostly by access and poverty. "Soon we will have major cognitive challenges because students are being impacted by extreme heat and extreme smog over long periods of time," said Lahore-based education activist Baela Raza Jamil. "The poorest are most vulnerable. But climate change is indeed a great leveller and the urban middle class is also affected." Pakistan's summers historically began in June, when temperatures hit the high 40s. But in the last five years, May has been similarly hot, according to the Meteorological Department. "During a power outage, I was sweating so much that the drops were falling off my forehead onto my desk," 15-year-old Jannat, a student in Lahore, told the media. Pakistan's education activist Baela Raza Jamil speaks during an interview with AFP at her office in Lahore. "A girl in my class had a nosebleed from the heat." Health versus learning Around a third of Pakistani school-age children -- over 26 million -- are out of school, according to government figures, one of the highest numbers in the world. And 65 per cent of children are unable to read age-appropriate material by age 10. School closures affect almost every part of Pakistan, including the country's most populous province Punjab, which has the highest rates of school attendance. Classes closed for two weeks in November over air pollution, and another week in May because of heat. In the previous academic year, three weeks were lost in January to a cold snap and two weeks in May due to heat. Political unrest and cricket matches that closed roads meant more lost days. In Balochistan, Pakistan's poorest province, May heatwaves have prompted early summer vacations for three years running, while in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, school hours are regularly slashed. A schoolgirl drinks water after her classes, on a hot summer day in Lahore. For authorities, the choice is often between sending children to school in potentially dangerous conditions or watching them fall behind. In southern Sindh province, authorities have resisted heat-related closures despite growing demands from parents. "It's hard for parents to send their children to school in this kind of weather," private school principal Sadiq Hussain told the media in Karachi, adding that attendance drops by 25 per cent in May. "Their physical and mental health is being affected," added Dost Mohammad Danish, general secretary of All Sindh Private Schools and Colleges Association. "Don't expect better scientists from Pakistan in the coming years." 'Everyone is suffering' Schools in Pakistan are overseen by provincial authorities, whose closure notices apply to all schools in a region, even when they are hundreds of kilometres (miles) apart and may be experiencing different conditions, or have different resources to cope. Teachers, parents and education experts want a rethink of school hours, exam timetables and vacations, with schools able to offer Saturday classes or split the school day to avoid the midday heat. Izza Farrakh, a senior education specialist at the World Bank, said climate change-related impacts are affecting attendance and learning outcomes. Students attend an assembly at a school, at Jacobabad, Sindh. Photos: AFP "Schools need to have flexibility in determining their academic calendar. It shouldn't be centralised," she said, adding that end-of-year exams usually taken in May could be replaced by regular assessments throughout the year. Adapting school buildings is also crucial. International development agencies have already equipped thousands of schools with solar panels, but many more of the country's 250,000 schools need help. Hundreds of climate-resilient schools funded by World Bank loans are being built in Sindh. They are elevated to withstand monsoon flooding, and fitted with solar panels for power and rooftop insulation to combat heat and cold. But in Pakistan's most impoverished villages, where education is a route out of generational poverty, parents still face tough choices. In rural Sukkur, the local school was among 27,000 damaged or destroyed by unprecedented 2022 floods. Children learn outside their half-collapsed school building, unprotected from the elements. "Our children are worried, and we are deeply concerned," said parent Ali Gohar Gandhu, a daily wage labourer. "Everyone is suffering." Agence France-Presse
Gulf Today
4 days ago
- Gulf Today
UAE to experience longest days in June, NCM reports
The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) stated that during the last third of June, the UAE experiences the longest day of the year, leading to a rise in temperatures across most regions by approximately 2 to 3 degrees Celsius, marking the beginning of summer. The NCM explained that in June, the impact of the Siberian high-pressure system on the country diminishes, while thermal lows begin to affect the region. Also, the Indian seasonal low extends its influence from the east over the UAE for most of the month. Occasionally, cloud formations will appear in some areas, with the possibility of cumulus clouds developing over the eastern mountains in the afternoon, potentially leading to rainfall. The NCM also noted that humidity levels in the air will decrease slightly in June compared to May, particularly in the second half of it, leading to the reduction of chances of fog and light fog formation, with fewer occurrences expected. The average temperature will range between 33.0°C and 35.7°C, with average maximum temperatures between 39.8°C and 42.7°C and average minimum temperatures between 26.8°C and 29.4°C, the NCM reported. The highest recorded maximum temperature was 52°C in Al-Yasyat in 2010, while the lowest recorded temperature was 14.1°C in Raknah in Al Ain in 2004, according to the NCM. The average wind speed is 13 km/h, with the highest recorded wind speed of 125.2 km/h in Jabal Mabrah in 2010 and the average relative humidity during this month is 43%, with maximum relative humidity ranging between 62% and 87% and minimum relative humidity between 14% and 27%. The NCM indicated that the year with the highest frequency of fog was 2021, with 12 days of fog and 6 days of light fog while the highest recorded rainfall during this month was 44.0 mm in Watiyid in 2007.
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Saudi Arabia launches permit crackdown to stop heat deaths during Hajj
Saudi Arabia is cracking down on Hajj permit violations to prevent heat deaths during the pilgrimage. Officials announced on Sunday that the authorities had stopped over 269,000 individuals without the necessary permits from entering Mecca ahead of Hajj. Saudi officials have attributed overcrowding at the pilgrimage to permit violations, noting that deaths in previous years were often of those without a valid permit. More than 1,300 pilgrims died in 2024 after thermometers recorded temperatures reaching 51.8 degrees Celsius. The weather forecast is not predicting such peaks as the Hajj begins this week, but temperatures are still expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The Ministry of Health announced on Monday that it had already treated 44 cases of heatstroke after 1.4 million worshippers arrived in the kingdom. Deputy Minister of Health Abdullah Asiri told AFP that they were preparing for the "worst-case scenario". "The focus is on heat-related illnesses because the Hajj coincides with extreme temperatures," he said. Asiri added a total of 50,000 medical and administrative staff had been mobilised for the Hajj, while more than 700 hospital beds were equipped with ventilators for serious cases. Hajj is a religious obligation on all Muslims who are healthy, financially able, of sound mind and of age to perform the pilgrimage. The pilgrimage coincides with the Eid al-Adha festival, which is Islam's most important religious event. Due to be celebrated on 6 June this year, Eid al-Adha marks the Quranic story of Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail.
