Europe’s 2022 summer heat record not a ‘one-off,’ experts warn

Europe's summer last year was the hottest on record and caused thousands of deaths, a joint report by World Meteorological Organization and European Union scientists confirmed, while warning that such events could become more routine.

The report on the state of the climate said Europe was the fastest-warming continent on the planet, with the temperature having risen by about twice the global average since the 1980s.

Heatwaves led to some 16,000 excess deaths last year in Europe, said the report, which was published on Monday.

"Unfortunately, this cannot be considered a one-off occurrence or an oddity of the climate," said Dr Carlo Buontempo, Director, Copernicus Climate Change Service.

"Our current understanding of the climate system and its evolution informs us that these kinds of events are part of a pattern that will make heat stress extremes more...