New data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service reveals another year of climate extremes with many high temperature records and rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Summer 2022 was the hottest on record for Europe and each boreal summer month was at least the third warmest globally. Overall, 2022 was the second warmest year on record for Europe, while globally it was the 5th warmest year according to the ERA5 dataset.
Globally:
- 2022 was the 5th warmest year – however, the 4th-8th warmest years are very close together
- The last eight years have been the eight warmest on record
- The annual average temperature was 0.3°C above the reference period of 1991-2020, which equates to approximately 1.2°C higher than the period 1850-1900
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased by approximately 2.1 ppm, similar to the rates of recent years. Methane concentrations in the atmosphere increased by close to 12 ppb, higher than average, but below the last two years’ record highs
- La Niña conditions persisted during much of the year, for the third year in a row
Europe:
- Europe saw its second warmest year on record, exceeded by 2020 and only slightly warmer than 2019, 2015 and 2014
- Europe experienced its hottest summer ever recorded
- Autumn was the third warmest on record
- Prolonged and intense heatwaves affected western and northern Europe
- Persistent low levels of rainfall, in combination with high temperatures and other factors led to widespread drought conditions
- Highest summer (June-August) total wildfire emissions estimated for the EU plus UK in the last 15 years. France, Spain, Germany, and Slovenia experienced their highest summer wildfire emissions for at least the last 20 years
Other regions
- Prolonged heatwave conditions affected Pakistan and northern India in spring, and central and eastern China during summer
- Pakistan saw widespread flooding in August as a result of extreme rainfall
- Relatively low temperatures and high rainfall over eastern Australia in 2022 are climatic features typically associated with La Niña conditions
- In February, Antarctic Sea ice reached its lowest minimum extent in the 44-year satellite record
- Six months saw the Antarctic Sea ice extent reach record or near-record low values.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission, releases its 2022 Global Climate Highlights: a summary of the past year’s temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations and significant climate and weather events. The summary shows that several high temperature records were broken both in Europe and across the world, while other extreme events such as drought and flooding affected large regions.
Europe saw its hottest summer ever recorded and several prolonged and intense heatwaves affected parts of western and northern Europe. C3S again underlines that ERA5 concurs with other widely used temperature datasets that European temperatures have increased by more than twice the global average over the past 30 years and has the highest rate of increase of any continent in the world.
Mauro Facchini, Head of Earth Observation at the Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space, European Commission, comments: “In our efforts to tackle climate change at global, European or national level it is clear that high quality Earth observation data, information and knowledge are essential. The Copernicus Climate Change Service provides authoritative and timely monitoring of the changing climate which informs adaptation efforts.”
