health
April 29, 2026
Nordic heatwave part of record year that saw temperatures scorch most of Europe, report finds
Scientists find annual sea surface temperatures across Europe reached highest levels recorded, while deadly wildfires set large parts of continent ablaze
TL;DR
- Scandinavia experienced 21 days of hot weather last summer, with 'tropical nights' in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
- European temperatures have risen by 0.56C per decade since the mid-1990s, faster than any other continent.
- Annual sea surface temperatures in Europe reached record highs.
- Snow cover fell by 31% and snow mass by 45% compared to recent decades.
- Svalbard is warming at three to four times the average European rate.
- Deadly wildfires in 2025 burned over one million hectares of land in Europe, with the Iberian peninsula most affected.
- Glaciers and ice sheets melted across Europe, and the Greenland ice sheet lost 139 gigatons of ice.
- 86% of Europe's ocean experienced 'strong' heatwaves, and 36% experienced 'severe' or 'extreme' heat.
- Experts warn that current EU climate targets are too low, and more effective action is needed immediately.
- Limiting global heating to 1.5C now relies on removing vast amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
- Some scientists advise preparing for 3C of global heating and implementing adaptation measures like redesigning cities with more green space.
Continue reading the original article