European State of the Climate 2024

by Kirsty McCabe, FRMetS

We've already taken a look at the Global State of the Climate 2024, which showed that 2024 was the hottest year on record globally and also the first calendar year in which temperature anomalies have been above 1.5°C. 

But what about Europe's climate? The European State of the Climate Report 2024 (ESOTC) compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the World Meteorological Organization, in collaboration with around 100 scientists and experts, provides a clear overview of how Europe's climate is changing by tracking key trends such as temperature, rainfall, heatwaves, floods and glacier loss. This helps governments, cities, businessess and the public better understand the impacts of climate change and make informed decisions about climate adaptation and resilience. In short, the report turns climate data into a practical insight.

So what can we learn from 2024?

Europe is the fastest-warming continent and is experiencing serious impacts from extreme weather and climate change. 2024 was the warmest year for Europe with record-high annual temperatures in almost half the continent. 

Every additional fraction of a degree of temperature rise matters because it accentuates the risks to our lives, to economies and to the planet.
Prof. Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General 

Southeastern Europe experienced its longest heatwave on record in July 2024, lasting 13 consecutive days and affecting 55% of the region. The number of days with at least "strong heat stress" has increased for 60% of Europe, with a record low number of days with at least "strong cold stress". And an estimated 42,000 people were affected by wildfire in Europe.

Sea surface temperatures for Europe were also the highest on record, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. And the impact of rising temperatures was felt further north too, with record glacier mass loss in Scandinavia and Svalbard.

In 2024, Europe experienced the most widespread flooding since 2013, with almost one-third of the river network experiencing flooding that exceeded at least the "high" threshold. Storms and flooding affected an estimated 413,000 people in Europe, with at least 335 lives lost. At the end of October 2024, Spain saw extreme precipitation and flooding leading to devastating impacts and fatalities in the province of Valencia and neighbouring regions.

But there was a striking east-west climate contrast across Europe in 2024, with dry, sunny and extremely warm conditions in the east and cloudier, wetter and less warm conditions in the west. Wester Europe saw one of the ten wettest years since 1950.

The east-west contrast was apparent in many climate variables, such as temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, clouds, sunshine duration, solar radiation and potential for solar power generation. 

Climate policy and action

Although 2024 marked the world's first year above 1.5 degrees, we have not yet broken the Paris Agreement. The agreement talks about a long-term average for up to 20 years above 1.5°C, and the latest 5-year average is still at 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels. The ESOTC 2024 features a map of key events that highlight examples of climate resilience and adaptation initiatives in cities across Europe.

51% of European cities have adopted dedicated climate adaptation plans, representing encouraging progress from 26% in 2018, according to the climate policy and action section of the report, highlighting that continued efforts will unlock even greater potential to adapt to climate challenges effectively. Extreme weather events pose increasing risks to Europe’s built environment and infrastructure and the services they support. 

Renewable energy progress

The proportion of electricity generation by renewables in Europe reached a record high in 2024 - 45% compared to the previous record of 43% in 2023 - reflecting Europe’s efforts towards a decarbonised energy system. The number of EU countries where renewables generate more electricity than fossil fuels has nearly doubled since 2019, rising from 12 to 20.  
 

Renewable power generation and electricity demand are highly sensitive to weather conditions, and the climate-driven potential for power generation from solar photovoltaic reflected the contrasting east (sunnier) and west (cloudier) conditions.

2024 was Europe's warmest year on record, with extreme heat in the east and major floods in the west. Our rapidly changing climate is a clear sign we need to step up adaptation efforts.