Heat, floods, fires

2023 was the year of extreme weather in Europe

More days with extreme heat were recorded in 2023 than ever before

(Bild: dapd (Symbolbild))

Many people in Europe were confronted with extreme weather conditions and their consequences in the previous year. More days of extreme heat were recorded in 2023 than ever before since records began, according to the European climate change service Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

"2023 was a complex and multi-layered year in terms of climate hazards in Europe," said the Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Carlo Buontempo. "We witnessed widespread flooding, but also extreme forest fires with high temperatures and severe droughts." These events not only put a strain on natural ecosystems, but also posed major challenges for agriculture, water management and public health. Overall, last year was - depending on the data set - the second warmest or, together with 2020, the warmest year in Europe.

We witnessed widespread flooding, but also extreme forest fires with high temperatures and severe droughts.

Carlo Buontempo, Direktor des Copernicus Climate Change Service

Damage in the tens of billions
According to the report published on Monday on the state of the climate in Europe (ESOTC), around 1.6 million people were affected by flooding last year and more than half a million by storms. Weather and climate-related damage is estimated at well over 10 billion euros. "Unfortunately, it is unlikely that these figures will decrease in the near future," said Buontempo, referring to the ongoing climate change.

Heat broke all records
Averaged over the whole of Europe, eleven months last year were warmer than average. September was even the warmest since records began in 1940. Overall, a record number of days with so-called extreme heat stress were registered, i.e. perceived temperatures of over 46 degrees. The number of heat-related deaths has risen by an average of 30 percent over the past 20 years.

Extremes also seen in rainfall
Overall, seven percent more rain fell last year than on average. It was one of the wettest years on record, according to the report. One third of the river network in Europe recorded water volumes that exceeded the flood threshold. There was severe flooding in Italy and Greece, among other places, and parts of northern Germany were affected at the end of the year.

Seas too warm, glaciers melting
The seas around the European coasts were warmer on average than at any time since at least 1980. It was also far too warm on the glaciers. "After the record ice loss in 2022, it was another exceptional year of loss in the Alps," write Copernicus and WMO. In these two years, the glaciers in the Alps lost around ten percent of their volume.

On a positive note, the report states that the conditions for the production of green electricity in 2023 were very favorable, with its share of the total electricity mix at 43 percent, higher than ever before.