Europe faces drought as May declared second-hottest on record
This May was the world's second warmest ever recorded, exceeded only by May 2024, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), bringing unusually dry conditions to northwestern Europe.
Data shows that the global average surface air temperature was 15.79°C last month, 0.53°C higher than the 1991 to 2020 average.
May was an estimated 1.4°C above the average for 1850 to 1900 - the period used to define the pre-industrial average. It interrupts a sweltering stretch where 21 out of 22 months breached this 1.5°C threshold, though EU scientists say this is unlikely to last.
'May 2025 breaks an unprecedentedly long sequence of months over 1.5°C above pre-industrial,' says Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S at ECMWF.
Whether or not the world breaches the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 1.5°C is measured over decades, not single months, meaning it has not technically been passed.
'Whilst this may offer a brief respite for the planet, we do expect the 1.5°C threshold to be exceeded again in the near future due to the continued warming of the climate system,' Buontempo adds.
High temperatures have been paired with dry weather across much of the world over the last few months.
In Europe, May brought drier than average conditions to much of northern and central Europe as well as southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye.
This spring has been a contrast between drier-than-average conditions in the north and west and wetter-than-average conditions across the south and northwestern Russia.
Parts of northwestern Europe saw their lowest precipitation and soil moisture levels since at least 1979. And persistent dry conditions have led to the lowest spring river flow across Europe since records began in 1992.
More than half of the land in Europe and the Mediterranean basin faced some form of drought from 11 to 20 May, according to data from the European Drought Observatory. That is the highest level recorded for that period of time in the year since monitoring began in 2012.
Farmers across northern Europe have voiced fears for their crops, with unusually dry weather delaying the sprouting of wheat and corn. In the UK, the National Farmers' Union warned in early May that some crops were already failing due to the country's driest spring in well over a century.
In late May, the European Central Bank warned that water scarcity puts nearly 15 per cent of the euro area's economic output at risk. New research conducted with experts at the University of Oxford found that water was the single biggest nature-related risk to the euro area economy.
'People often think of countries like India, Italy and the US when we talk about climate change and heatwaves,' says Dr Sarah Kew, researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
But, as a new study from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group shows, 'even cold climate countries are experiencing unprecedented temperatures.'
A record-breaking heatwave in Iceland and Greenland last month was made around 3°C hotter due to human-caused climate change, the group of researchers has found.
On 15 May, the Egilsstaðir Airport station in Iceland recorded 26.6°C, a new national record for the month. Just days later, on 19 May, the Ittoqqortoormiit station in eastern Greenland reported 14.3°C, well above the monthly average of daily maximum temperatures of 0.8°C.
'To some, an increase of 3°C might not sound like much, but it contributed to a massive loss of ice in Greenland,' adds Dr Kew, one of 18 global researchers behind the new WWA study.
The climate change-driven heat from 15-21 May corresponded with around 17 times higher than average Greenland ice sheet melting, according to preliminary analysis from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the US.
'In the Arctic, local populations have built communities on weather conditions that have been stable for centuries,' says Maja Vahlberg, Technical Advisor at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.
'However, heatwaves like these signal emerging risks in Greenland and Iceland that are warming much faster than other regions.'
The Arctic has warmed at a rate more than double the global average. This phenomenon, known as arctic amplification, is largely driven by melting sea ice: as the ice vanishes, it is replaced by an expanding area of dark ocean water that absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it.
'Inuit communities face growing threats to traditional ways of life, while people in Iceland with existing health conditions are increasingly vulnerable to rising heat,' adds Vahlberg.
Although Iceland experiences very low rates of heat-related deaths compared to countries in southern Europe, the heatwave may have impacted people with underlying health conditions before they had time to acclimatise.
Warnings of sunburn and softened roads in Iceland highlight how cold-climate countries are beginning to experience new climate risks that can catch people off guard, the researchers say.
Sea ice loss is also impacting Inuit Indigenous communities, who make up 90 per cent of the population in Greenland. Reliable sea ice is vital for travel, but thinning ice is creating unstable conditions that cut off access to traditional hunting grounds.
The loss of sea ice has also seen a rapid decline in the number of sled dogs in Greenland, which have been used by Inuit groups for thousands of years.
An Arctic heatwave might still seem like an anomaly, but such events are becoming increasingly common.
'In recent years, my colleagues and I in the Climate Group at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have noticed unusual weather extremes, such as rainfall events that far exceed in rainfall duration and amount, anything expected based on prior data,' says Dr Halldór Björnsson, group leader at the Icelandic Met Office. 'In short the old statistics do not apply.'
May's heatwave broke records even in weather stations going back more than a century - including in Stykkisholmur, for example, where there is reliable data for more than 174 years. Dr Björnsson says the event was the largest May heat they've ever seen, with 94 per cent of weather stations setting new temperature records.
'What we are witnessing is not just an isolated event, but a change in weather statistics,' she says.
If greenhouse gas emissions continue on their predicted course, and warming reaches 2.6°C by 2100, heatwaves are set to become a further 2°C more intense in Iceland.
For Greenland, the scientists analysed data from a weather station in the eastern part of the country. They found the hottest single day in May was about 3.9°C warmer than it would have been in the preindustrial climate.
While this analysis did not include climate models, the scientists say it's likely that almost all of the increase was due to climate change.
'What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic,' warns Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Professor in Climate Science at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London.
'The unusual heat would have accelerated ice melt and contributed to sea level rise, which is threatening the survival of communities on small islands, like Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu, as well as Indigenous peoples such as the Inuit.'
Greenland loses an average of 43 billion tonnes of ice per year, and a growing body of evidence suggests that continued warming could push the country past a tipping point where the melting of the ice sheet becomes irreversible.
A recent study has warned that even 1.5°C of warming could trigger the loss of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, potentially causing several metres of sea level rise over the coming centuries, which would threaten the existence of low-lying islands around the world.
Another potential tipping point could have concerning consequences for Europe. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet is known to slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vast ocean current that could weaken or collapse with further ice melt, potentially disrupting global climate patterns, causing severe weather changes worldwide and plunging Europe into a deep freeze.
'We know exactly what is causing the warming and the melting - the burning of oil, gas and coal. The good news is we can stop extreme heat from getting worse and worse, which means shifting away from fossil fuels,' adds Dr Otto.
'That does not require magic. We have the know-how and technology needed, but it does require recognising that human rights are for all, not just the rich and powerful.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
'Early' heatwave with temperatures reaching 38°C to sweep France, peaking Saturday
France hasn't even entered summer yet, and it's already going to be sweltering. The country was expected, starting Thursday, June 19, to undergo its 50 th heatwave since records began in 1947, with temperatures reaching up to 38°C in some areas. "It will be early, with remarkable heat levels for June, though not unprecedented," said Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Météo-France, the French national meteorological service. Starting Thursday, the already high temperatures are set to climb even further, reaching between 32°C and 35°C in eastern France. The reason is a blocking anticyclone over much of Europe that "allows for a gradual increase in heat," explained François Gourand, a forecaster at Météo-France. On Friday, a cold drop (a pocket of colder air at altitude) over the nearby Atlantic is expected to draw even hotter air from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. As a result, temperatures are forecast to hit between 34°C and 36°C in western France and between 36°C and 38°C in the center-west and Mediterranean regions. Nights at a minimum of 20°C On Saturday, at the peak of the wave, the heat is set to be intense, with values frequently between 34°C and 38°C, especially throughout western France and the inland Mediterranean region. The nights will be tropical, meaning that temperatures will not fall below 20°C, preventing the body from getting a good night's rest. Other European countries, such as Spain and the United Kingdom, will also be affected.
Euronews
4 days ago
- Euronews
Spain set for unusually hot summer. Is climate change to blame?
Spain is preparing for an unusually warm summer, hot on the heels of a record-breaking May. In an update on Friday, national weather agency AEMET said there is a 60 per cent chance the country will be hotter than average from June through to August. It follows searing temperatures at the end of last month, when the mercury climbed to 40.7C at the airports of Córdoba and Seville, and 37.5C in Zaragoza. Temperatures on 30 May averaged 24.08C - the highest reading for May since records began in 1950. There is no doubt, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned before, that 'human-caused greenhouse gas emissions have led to an increased frequency and intensity of temperature extremes'. The last three summers have been Spain's hottest on record - and summer 2025 looks set to continue that trend. The likelihood of a warmer than usual summer rises to 70 per cent along Spain's Mediterranean coast and the Balearic and Canary Islands. The eastern coast - including Barcelona, Valencia, and the Balearics - is expected to experience frequent 'tropical nights', with temperatures failing to drop below 20C, and many consecutive days above 35C. The summer forecast comes as AEMET issued orange‑level warnings for heat for today (17 June) in Córdoba and Seville countryside - where temperatures could hit 41C - and Vegas del Guadiana in Extremadura. After a very rainy spring, there is no clear trend for rainfall this summer, the agency adds, though the usual pattern is long dry periods occasionally interrupted by storms. To help people prepare for its increasingly hot summers, last year Spain's Ministry of Health released a new map with more detailed heat alerts. It breaks the country down from 52 provincial areas into 182 meteosalud (or metro health) zones, providing a colour-based warning system for each. The hyper-local heat alerts range from Green or no risk through to Red or high risk to health and life. Alongside a colour, these alerts come with information about sun exposure, hydration and symptoms of heat-related illness. There is even an English language version of the official heat alert website, to help alert tourists, students and newly arrived residents to the risk. This year, Spain's annual heat plan supplements the new meteosalud areas with a guide advising different administrations, health professionals and citizens when intense heat strikes. It follows a study from the Carlos III Health Institute, which determined the threshold for heatwaves in these different areas, taking into account variables like heat-related deaths. Every heatwave in the world is now made stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change, World Weather Attribution (WWA) states. This is borne out by numerous previous analyses - including one that found extreme heat felt in Spain and Portugal in April 2023 would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change. 2024 was the warmest year on record and the first calendar year where the global temperature exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to global warming; its concentration in the atmosphere exceeded 430 parts per million (ppm) last month. As average temperatures rise, the amount of weather at the 'extremely hot' end of the spectrum increases, making extreme heat events more frequent, longer, and more intense. 'Extreme heat is a silent killer, affecting people's health, social, environmental, and economic well-being, particularly women and vulnerable communities,' says Kathy Baughman Mcleod, CEO at Climate Resilience for All (CRA). The women-led climate adaptation NGO shares five points to help people in Spain, Europe and beyond prepare for upcoming brutal heatwaves. 1. Know the signs of heat illness - for yourself and others Recognise early symptoms like dizziness, headache, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and confusion. Heatstroke is a medical emergency. Watch closely for these in vulnerable groups: 2. Use trusted heat early warning systems Download and follow AEMET for real-time, science-based heat alerts via app, SMS, or website. AEMET issues heatwave warnings by region, severity, and duration - use it to plan your day and check in on others. 3. Everyone's at risk now - even the fit and healthy With rising temperatures, even healthy adults are suffering from heat exhaustion and heatstroke, especially during physical activity or prolonged exposure. Don't assume you're immune. Hydrate constantly, rest in the shade or air conditioning and schedule demanding tasks for early morning. 4. Take action to protect your home and community 5. Don't underestimate nighttime heat When nighttime temperatures stay above 25C, the body can't recover from the day's stress. Poor sleep increases heart risk, reduces productivity, and worsens mental health.
Euronews
11-06-2025
- Euronews
Europe faces drought as May declared second-hottest on record
This May was the world's second warmest ever recorded, exceeded only by May 2024, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), bringing unusually dry conditions to northwestern Europe. Data shows that the global average surface air temperature was 15.79°C last month, 0.53°C higher than the 1991 to 2020 average. May was an estimated 1.4°C above the average for 1850 to 1900 - the period used to define the pre-industrial average. It interrupts a sweltering stretch where 21 out of 22 months breached this 1.5°C threshold, though EU scientists say this is unlikely to last. 'May 2025 breaks an unprecedentedly long sequence of months over 1.5°C above pre-industrial,' says Carlo Buontempo, director of C3S at ECMWF. Whether or not the world breaches the Paris Agreement target of keeping global warming below 1.5°C is measured over decades, not single months, meaning it has not technically been passed. 'Whilst this may offer a brief respite for the planet, we do expect the 1.5°C threshold to be exceeded again in the near future due to the continued warming of the climate system,' Buontempo adds. High temperatures have been paired with dry weather across much of the world over the last few months. In Europe, May brought drier than average conditions to much of northern and central Europe as well as southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, and Türkiye. This spring has been a contrast between drier-than-average conditions in the north and west and wetter-than-average conditions across the south and northwestern Russia. Parts of northwestern Europe saw their lowest precipitation and soil moisture levels since at least 1979. And persistent dry conditions have led to the lowest spring river flow across Europe since records began in 1992. More than half of the land in Europe and the Mediterranean basin faced some form of drought from 11 to 20 May, according to data from the European Drought Observatory. That is the highest level recorded for that period of time in the year since monitoring began in 2012. Farmers across northern Europe have voiced fears for their crops, with unusually dry weather delaying the sprouting of wheat and corn. In the UK, the National Farmers' Union warned in early May that some crops were already failing due to the country's driest spring in well over a century. In late May, the European Central Bank warned that water scarcity puts nearly 15 per cent of the euro area's economic output at risk. New research conducted with experts at the University of Oxford found that water was the single biggest nature-related risk to the euro area economy. 'People often think of countries like India, Italy and the US when we talk about climate change and heatwaves,' says Dr Sarah Kew, researcher at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. But, as a new study from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group shows, 'even cold climate countries are experiencing unprecedented temperatures.' A record-breaking heatwave in Iceland and Greenland last month was made around 3°C hotter due to human-caused climate change, the group of researchers has found. On 15 May, the Egilsstaðir Airport station in Iceland recorded 26.6°C, a new national record for the month. Just days later, on 19 May, the Ittoqqortoormiit station in eastern Greenland reported 14.3°C, well above the monthly average of daily maximum temperatures of 0.8°C. 'To some, an increase of 3°C might not sound like much, but it contributed to a massive loss of ice in Greenland,' adds Dr Kew, one of 18 global researchers behind the new WWA study. The climate change-driven heat from 15-21 May corresponded with around 17 times higher than average Greenland ice sheet melting, according to preliminary analysis from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in the US. 'In the Arctic, local populations have built communities on weather conditions that have been stable for centuries,' says Maja Vahlberg, Technical Advisor at Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. 'However, heatwaves like these signal emerging risks in Greenland and Iceland that are warming much faster than other regions.' The Arctic has warmed at a rate more than double the global average. This phenomenon, known as arctic amplification, is largely driven by melting sea ice: as the ice vanishes, it is replaced by an expanding area of dark ocean water that absorbs sunlight instead of reflecting it. 'Inuit communities face growing threats to traditional ways of life, while people in Iceland with existing health conditions are increasingly vulnerable to rising heat,' adds Vahlberg. Although Iceland experiences very low rates of heat-related deaths compared to countries in southern Europe, the heatwave may have impacted people with underlying health conditions before they had time to acclimatise. Warnings of sunburn and softened roads in Iceland highlight how cold-climate countries are beginning to experience new climate risks that can catch people off guard, the researchers say. Sea ice loss is also impacting Inuit Indigenous communities, who make up 90 per cent of the population in Greenland. Reliable sea ice is vital for travel, but thinning ice is creating unstable conditions that cut off access to traditional hunting grounds. The loss of sea ice has also seen a rapid decline in the number of sled dogs in Greenland, which have been used by Inuit groups for thousands of years. An Arctic heatwave might still seem like an anomaly, but such events are becoming increasingly common. 'In recent years, my colleagues and I in the Climate Group at the Icelandic Meteorological Office have noticed unusual weather extremes, such as rainfall events that far exceed in rainfall duration and amount, anything expected based on prior data,' says Dr Halldór Björnsson, group leader at the Icelandic Met Office. 'In short the old statistics do not apply.' May's heatwave broke records even in weather stations going back more than a century - including in Stykkisholmur, for example, where there is reliable data for more than 174 years. Dr Björnsson says the event was the largest May heat they've ever seen, with 94 per cent of weather stations setting new temperature records. 'What we are witnessing is not just an isolated event, but a change in weather statistics,' she says. If greenhouse gas emissions continue on their predicted course, and warming reaches 2.6°C by 2100, heatwaves are set to become a further 2°C more intense in Iceland. For Greenland, the scientists analysed data from a weather station in the eastern part of the country. They found the hottest single day in May was about 3.9°C warmer than it would have been in the preindustrial climate. While this analysis did not include climate models, the scientists say it's likely that almost all of the increase was due to climate change. 'What happens in the Arctic doesn't stay in the Arctic,' warns Dr Friederike Otto, Associate Professor in Climate Science at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London. 'The unusual heat would have accelerated ice melt and contributed to sea level rise, which is threatening the survival of communities on small islands, like Vanuatu, Kiribati and Tuvalu, as well as Indigenous peoples such as the Inuit.' Greenland loses an average of 43 billion tonnes of ice per year, and a growing body of evidence suggests that continued warming could push the country past a tipping point where the melting of the ice sheet becomes irreversible. A recent study has warned that even 1.5°C of warming could trigger the loss of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, potentially causing several metres of sea level rise over the coming centuries, which would threaten the existence of low-lying islands around the world. Another potential tipping point could have concerning consequences for Europe. The melting of the Greenland ice sheet is known to slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a vast ocean current that could weaken or collapse with further ice melt, potentially disrupting global climate patterns, causing severe weather changes worldwide and plunging Europe into a deep freeze. 'We know exactly what is causing the warming and the melting - the burning of oil, gas and coal. The good news is we can stop extreme heat from getting worse and worse, which means shifting away from fossil fuels,' adds Dr Otto. 'That does not require magic. We have the know-how and technology needed, but it does require recognising that human rights are for all, not just the rich and powerful.'
