Extreme heat, widespread drought typify European climate in 2022

Globally, the last eight years have been the warmest on record, while in recent decades Europe has warmed faster overall than any other continent. In this article, we take a closer look at some of the main findings from ESOTC 2022. You can also read the interactive summary, or visit the C3S website for the full version of the report.

The 2022 ESOTC report, published on 20 April, provides a comprehensive overview of the significant climate events of 2022 in Europe, the Arctic and across the globe, placing the climate in 2022 in the long-term context. Data in the report indicate rising temperatures and intensifying extreme events. 

The C3S data show that the average temperature for Europe for the latest 5-year period was around 2.2°C above the pre-industrial era (1850-1900) and 2022 was the second warmest year on record, at 0.9°C above the 1991-2020 average. Last summer was the hottest on record for Europe, at 1.4°C above the average.

Along with the high temperatures, Europe experienced several extreme events last summer, including intense heatwaves, drought conditions and extensive wildfires. Extremes in heat during the late spring and summer resulted in hazardous conditions for human health. In general, Europe is seeing an upward trend in the number of summer days with ‘strong’ or ‘very strong heat stress’, and in southern Europe the same is seen for ‘extreme heat stress’. There is also a decreasing trend in the number of days with ‘no heat stress’.

“The report highlights alarming changes to our climate, including the hottest summer ever recorded in Europe, marked by unprecedented marine heatwaves in the Mediterranean Sea and record-breaking temperatures in Greenland. Understanding the climate dynamics in Europe is crucial for our efforts to adapt and mitigate the negative impacts climate changes has on the continent,” said C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.

Europe’s increasing temperatures are part of an upward trend that has been affecting the world in recent decades. In the Arctic region too, temperatures have risen much more rapidly than over most of the rest of the globe, and 2022 was the sixth warmest year on record for the Arctic as a whole, and fourth warmest for Arctic land areas. One of the Arctic regions most affected in 2022 was Svalbard, which experienced its warmest summer on record, with some areas seeing temperatures exceeding 2.5°C above average.

During 2022, Greenland also experienced extreme climate conditions, including exceptional heat and rainfall in September, a time of year when snow is more typical. Average temperatures for the month were the highest on record, at up to 8°C higher than average, and the island experienced three different heatwaves causing record ice sheet melt, with at least 23% of the ice sheet impacted at the peak of the first heatwave.

One of the most significant events to affect Europe in 2022 was the widespread drought. Much of Europe experienced fewer snow days than average during the 2021-22 winter and, in spring, precipitation was below average across much of the continent, with May seeing the lowest precipitation on record for the month. The lack of winter snow and the high summer temperatures resulted in record ice loss for Alpine glaciers, equivalent to more than 5 km3 of ice. The below-average precipitation, which continued throughout summer, together with the exceptional heatwaves, also caused a widespread and prolonged drought that affected several sectors, such as agriculture, river transport and energy.

The annual soil moisture anomaly was the second lowest in the last 50 years with only isolated areas seeing wetter-than-average soil moisture conditions. Furthermore, river flow for Europe was the second lowest on record, marking the sixth year in a row with below average flows. In terms of the area affected, 2022 was the driest year on record, with 63% of Europe’s rivers seeing lower-than-average flows.

The hot and dry conditions in Europe were conducive to wildfires and, for Europe as a whole, above-average fire danger conditions were seen throughout most of the year. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS*) tracked significant increases in wildfire carbon emissions for some European regions in summer 2022, following the hot and dry conditions. The total estimated emissions across the EU in summer 2022 were the highest since 2007. France, Spain, Germany and Slovenia also experienced their highest summer wildfire emissions for at least the last 20 years, with southwestern Europe seeing some of the largest fires on record in Europe.  

The ESOTC 2022 report also contains a special feature on renewable energy resources, which looks at factors influencing Europe’s potential to generate renewable energy. The report notes that, in 2022, Europe received its highest amount of surface solar radiation in 40 years. As a result, potential solar photovoltaic power generation was above average across most of the continent. It is worth noting that the high surface solar radiation in 2022 is consistent with a marked positive trend observed over the same 40-year period. 

Meanwhile, the annual average wind speed for European land in 2022 was virtually equal to its 30-year average. It was below average in most of western, central, and northeastern Europe, but above average in eastern and southeastern Europe. This meant that potential power generation from onshore wind was below average in most of Europe, especially in southern central regions. 

(Left) Annual 100 m wind speed anomalies for European land areas[3] from 1950 to 2022 (orange and purple bars) and smoothed with a 10-year low-pass filter (solid curved line). The near-zero value for 2022 is indicated with an arrow. (Right) Annual average 100 m wind speed anomaly for 2022. All anomalies are relative to the average.

“Greenhouse gas emission reductions are imperative for mitigating the worst effects of climate change. Understanding and responding to the changes and variability in renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, are critical to support the energy transition to NetZero. Accurate and timely data improve the profitability of this energy transition,” said C3S Deputy Director Samantha Burgess. 

When it comes to renewable energy resources in Europe and their relationship to climate, it is important to understand the conditions and trends in energy production, and also how climate affects energy demand. In 2022, climate-driven demand for electricity was below average in most areas, linked to above-average temperatures during the non-summer months, reducing the need for heating. However, demand was higher than average in southern Europe due to the extreme summer heat, which increased demand for air conditioning. 

Every year, the ESOTC report puts climate data from the previous year into the context of long-term trends, making it possible to see the broader perspective and providing quality-assured information that policy-makers can use to take informed decisions about the actions needed to deal with the impacts of climate change.

*C3S and CAMS are implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts with funding from the European Commission.