Europe has been identified as the fastest-warming continent globally, according to the European State of the Climate Report for 2025, reports RTE.
From the Mediterranean region to the Arctic Circle, the continent’s climate is undergoing changes that are no longer subtle, gradual, or distant, reports RTE.
These changes are having widespread effects on Europe’s environment, economy, and ecosystems.
With rising air temperatures, warmer seas, melting ice, drying soils, and increasing strain on ecosystems, warning signs are emerging across every part of the climate system, reports RTE.
Over the past 30 years, Europe’s temperature has risen by 0.56C per decade, more than double the global average increase of 0.27C per decade.
The only region warming faster is the Arctic, where temperatures are increasing at a rate of 0.75C per decade, reports RTE.
Due to this rapid warming, Europe is increasingly seen as a real-time example of accelerated climate change and how societies might respond to it.
This stark assessment comes from the report jointly released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the World Meteorological Organisation, reports RTE.
The findings show that at least 95% of Europe experienced above-average temperatures last year, with several northern nations recording their warmest or second-warmest year on record.
A prolonged three-week heatwave affected sub-Arctic Fennoscandia, with temperatures exceeding 30C within the Arctic Circle, reports RTE.
Europe also recorded its second most intense heatwave, impacting areas from the south to far northern regions.
The report explains that Europe’s rapid warming is driven by a mix of factors, including changes in atmospheric circulation, increased solar radiation, cleaner air allowing more sunlight to reach the ground, reduced snow cover, and the continent’s proximity to the rapidly warming Arctic, reports RTE.
Together, these elements are accelerating the rate of temperature increase.
Glaciers across all European regions experienced a net loss of mass in 2025, with Iceland among the hardest hit, reports RTE.
Snow cover levels were 31% below average in March, with end-of-season levels ranking among the lowest ever recorded.
Meanwhile, the Greenland Ice Sheet lost 139 billion tonnes of ice, equivalent to one and a half times the total ice held in the glaciers of the European Alps, reports RTE.
Europe’s seas are also undergoing rapid change.
Sea surface temperatures across European waters reached record highs, while the Mediterranean saw its second-highest levels, reports RTE.
A significant 86% of European seas experienced at least strong marine heatwave conditions.
The report also outlines how these shifts are affecting marine ecosystems, reports RTE.
One example is Posidonia Oceanica, a seagrass species unique to the Mediterranean that spans about 19,000 square kilometres and plays a vital role in supporting coastal biodiversity and fisheries.
Over the past five decades, this seagrass has declined by 34%, reflecting the combined impact of warming waters and human activity, reports RTE.
Although some regions faced storms and flooding, 2025 was generally a dry year overall.
It ranked among the three driest years for soil moisture since 1992, reports RTE.
Large areas from northwestern to eastern Europe experienced below-average rainfall, and at one point in May, 35% of the continent was facing extreme agricultural drought.
Rivers were also significantly affected, with 70% recording below-average annual flows and water levels remaining low for 11 months of the year, reports RTE.
However, these drying patterns were not consistent everywhere.
The report highlights major differences in water conditions, with some areas experiencing intense rainfall while others endured prolonged drought, making water management more challenging and increasingly important, reports RTE.
While extreme rainfall and flooding were less widespread in 2025 compared to previous years, their effects were still notable.
Storms and floods caused at least 21 deaths, impacted over 14,500 people, and resulted in significant damage and disruption, reports RTE.
Looking ahead, Europe is expected to face some of the highest increases in flood risk worldwide in the coming decades.
Wildfires burned more than one million hectares, the largest recorded area, with particularly severe outbreaks in the Iberian Peninsula, reports RTE.
In several countries, including Spain, Cyprus, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, wildfire emissions reached record levels, partly driven by the combination of heat and drought.
On a more positive note, the report points to structural changes in Europe’s energy sector and progress in climate mitigation, reports RTE.
In 2025, renewable energy sources generated 46.4% of Europe’s electricity, nearly half of total production.
Wind accounted for 18%, hydropower for 15.9%, and solar energy reached a record share of 12.5%, reports RTE.
Fossil fuels made up 27.5% of electricity generation, continuing a gradual decline.
Globally, 2025 ranked as the third-warmest year on record, with average temperatures now about 1.4C above pre-industrial levels, reports RTE.
At the current pace of warming, the 1.5C threshold set by the Paris Agreement could be reached before the end of this decade, more than ten years earlier than originally expected.
Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF Samantha Burgess said, “The pace of climate change demands more urgent action. With rising temperatures, and widespread wildfires and drought, the evidence is unequivocal; climate change is not a future threat, it is our present reality,” reports RTE.
“In confronting the impact on biodiversity loss, we need to match the speed of adaptation happening in the clean energy transition and at the same time, ensure robust science continues to underpin our policies and decisions,” reports RTE.
Principal Adviser for Digital Green Transition at DG Clima Dušan Chrenek said, “The climate change signal remains unequivocal across Europe, and the European State of the Climate 2025 report is a stark reminder that we must sustain and accelerate both adaptation and mitigation efforts,” reports RTE.
“This edition provides compelling evidence of the profound impacts of climate change on intensity of extreme weather events, biodiversity and economy, while reinforcing Europe’s strategic ambition to further strengthen its Earth observation capabilities by harnessing cutting-edge technologies,” reports RTE.
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