Brussels: Most of Europe experienced above-average temperatures in 2025, a year that shattered records for wildfires, sea surface heat and heatwaves as climate change intensified, according to a new report.
According to Oman News Agency, the World Meteorological Organization and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said in their annual State of the Climate in Europe report that at least 95 percent of the continent saw temperatures above the long-term average. Wildfires consumed more than one million hectares of land - an area larger than Cyprus and the largest annual total on record.
The findings show how climate change is having increasingly severe consequences across Europe, even as some governments ease emissions reduction policies because of economic concerns. The European Union (EU) remains committed to its environmental goals, though it relaxed certain climate rules for cars and businesses last year after industry pressure to help struggling companies.
More than half of Europe experienced drought conditions in May 2025, the WMO and Copernicus reported. Overall, the year ranked among the three driest since 1992 in terms of soil moisture, as a warming climate harshens conditions for farmers.
Sea surface temperatures across Europe recorded their highest annual level, with 86 percent of the region experiencing severe marine heatwaves.
'Climate change is not a future threat - it is our present reality,' said Samantha Burgess, a senior official at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. 'The pace of climate change demands more urgent action.'
The WMO and Copernicus expressed particular concern over changes in Europe's coldest regions, where snow and ice cover are essential for slowing climate change by reflecting sunlight back into space. This albedo effect diminishes if warmer temperatures cause more melting, which also raises sea levels.
Norway, Sweden and Finland - in the sub-Arctic - experienced their most severe heatwave on record last July 2025, lasting three consecutive weeks, with temperatures inside the Arctic Circle exceeding 30°C. Iceland recorded its second-largest ice loss in 2025 since data collection began.