Climate change in Europe

This European summer is predicted to be one of the hottest since 1993, according to the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Temperatures are expected to surpass 2.5 degrees Celsius above the averages for the corresponding periods from 1993 to 2016. This is the first time that no possible scenarios predict lower temperatures in any part of Europe.

Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius (86F) were recorded at 108 weather stations in Greece Sunday, the national weather service says.

The record temperature, 38.6C (101.5F) was recorded at the Toplou Monastery, near the eastern extremity of the island of Crete.

According to Assistant Professor Anastasia Stoycheva, PhD, the Director of the Department "Forecasts" at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, most of the country, except for Southwest Bulgaria, will experience below-normal temperatures and ongoing precipitation until the end of May.

The intense northern hemisphere summer heat that drove wildfires across the Mediterranean, buckled roads in Texas and strained power grids in China last year made it not just the warmest summer on record - but the warmest in some 2,000 years, new research suggests.

This April, high maximum daily temperatures were widespread across Greece, according to data from the network of 53 meteorological stations operated by meteo.gr of the National Observatory of Athens.

Positive temperature anomalies marked many days of the month, resulting in the warmest April since 2010 in Thessaly, the Peloponnese and the Aegean Islands (excluding Crete).

We will return to normal temperatures for the season, with maximum temperatures around 20°C

Temperatures will soar above 30°C in some parts of mainland Greece from Sunday when an extremely warm air mass from Africa is expected to move over the country and eastern Europe.

In its latest forecast, the Meteo weather service of the National Observatory of Athens said the phenomenon is expected to last until Tuesday.

Bulgaria is set to experience favorable weather conditions on March 29, with mostly sunny skies forecasted across the country. According to meteorological reports, temperatures are expected to vary, with lows ranging from 4°C to 9°C, particularly higher in Northwestern Bulgaria. In Sofia, the capital city, temperatures are anticipated to dip to 5°C overnight.

Bulgaria is gearing up for a bout of turbulent weather as the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology issues warnings for high winds across the nation. With an orange alert for strong winds in eight regions and a yellow alert for most others, citizens are urged to prepare for adverse conditions.

The EU plans to be carbon neutral by 2050, but to get there it needs to pass two decadal milestones - each implying massive adaptation by industry and consumers.

The first of those has already been set: achieving at least a 55 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared with a 1990 baseline.