Almost all of Europe experienced above-average heat in 2025, a year that broke records for wildfires, sea temperatures and heatwaves as climate change worsens, EU scientists and the World Meteorological Organization said on Wednesday (29 April).

At least 95% of Europe experienced above-average temperatures, while wildfires burnt more than 1 million hectares of land - an area larger than Cyprus and the biggest annual total on record, the WMO and the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said in their annual report on Europe's climate.

The findings set out how climate change is having increasingly severe consequences in Europe, at a time when some governments seek to weaken emissions-cutting policies over economic concerns.

The European Union has vowed to stick to its green goals, but it weakened some climate rules for cars and companies last year after pressure from industry to help struggling firms.

Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent. The WMO and Copernicus said more than half of Europe was hit by drought conditions in May 2025, and the year overall was one of the three driest for soil moisture since 1992, as the warming climate imposes harsher conditions on farmers.

Europe's overall sea surface temperature hit an annual record high, and 86% of the region suffered strong marine heatwaves.

The WMO and Copernicus noted particular concern about changes in Europe's coldest regions - where snow and ice cover is crucial to help slow climate change, by reflecting sunlight back into space. This phenomenon, known as the "albedo effect", decreases if warmer temperatures cause more melting. Ice loss also adds to sea level rise.

Sub-Arctic Norway, Sweden and Finland experienced their heaviest heatwave on record last July, lasting three consecutive weeks, and temperatures inside the Arctic Circle breached 30 degrees Celsius. Iceland recorded its second-largest glacier loss in 2025 since records began, the report said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

ARCHIVE: Nearly all of Europe had above-average heat last year, as climate records toppled

VIDEO SHOWS: FILE FOOTAGE OF EXTREME WEATHER, DRAUGHT AND WILDFIRES IN EUROPE

SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - JULY 1, 2025) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. TOURISTS IN FRONT OF EIFFEL TOWER

2. SIGN READING (French/English): "SUMMIT CLOSED DUE TO INTENSE HEAT (French)/ TOP CLOSED: STRONG HEAT (English)"

3. TOURISTS QUEUING

SEVILLE, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - JUNE 29, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

4. VARIOUS OF STREET THERMOMETER SHOWING 48 DEGREES CENTIGRADE (118.4 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT)

5. TOURIST WITH HER FACE COVERED TO PROTECT IT FROM THE SUN

6. SEVILLE´S CATHEDRAL BELL TOWER GIRALDA AND RAY OF SUN IN THE BACKGROUND

TEJEDA, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - MARCH 20, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

7. VARIOUS OF DRIED CRACKED EARTH AT LAS NINAS WATER DAM

8. VARIOUS OF DRIED WATER DAM

BINGEN, GERMANY (ARCHIVE - APRIL 2, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

9. DRONE VIEW OF SAND BANKS / SHIPS

10. SIGHTSEEING BOAT GOING PAST WITH LOW WATER VISIBLE

OBERGOMS, SWITZERLAND (ARCHIVE - SEPTEMBER 11, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

11. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF DIRECTOR OF GLACIER MONITORING SWITZERLAND, MATTHIAS HUSS, AND HIS TEAM WALKING ON GLACIER

12. (MUTE) DRONE SHOT OF HUSS AND HIS TEAM MEASURING ICE LOST ON GLACIER

BUTE, SCOTLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (ARCHIVE - APRIL 8, 2025) (SDPHOTOGRAPHYBUTE - Must on-screen courtesy SDPHOTOGRAPHYBUTE) (MUTE)

DRONE VIEW OF ORANGE FLAMES GLOWING, THICK SMOKE RISING

OMIS, CROATIA (ARCHIVE - JUNE 21, 2025) (NOVA TV - No use Croatia)

13. 49 WATERBOMBER FLYING OVER, DROPPING WATER ON WILDFIRES

14.VARIOUS OF SMOKE RISING NEAR A RESIDENTIAL AREA

15. FLAMES

BETWEEN MARSEILLE AND LES PENNES-MIRABEAU, FRANCE (ARCHIVE - JULY 8, 2025) (CLPRESS - No use France)

16. VARIOUS WILDFIRE BURNING NEAR HOUSES

17. FIREFIGHTING PLANE DROPPING EXTINGUISHING AGENT ONTO FIRE

18. PAULS, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - OVERNIGHT JULY 7, 2025 TO JULY 8, 2025) (BOMBERS HANDOUT – Must not obscure logo)

19. NIGHT VIEW OF WILDFIRE

20. WILDFIRE

21. VARIOUS OF FIREFIGHTER WORKING TO CONTAIN THE WILDFIRE

22. WILDFIRE

CONGOSTA, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 11, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. FIREFIGHTERS STANDING NEAR FIRE

24. VARIOUS OF SMOKE BILLOWING FROM HILLTOP

25. FIREFIGHTING HELICOPTER DOUSING FLAMES

CUBO DE BENAVENTE, SPAIN (ARCHIVE - AUGUST 11, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

26. TRACTOR AND BELONGINGS BURNING INSIDE WAREHOUSE

27. LOCAL RESIDENT AND WAREHOUSE OWNER VICENTE BRESME TALKING ON THE PHONE NEXT TO BURNT 28. CAR AND WAREHOUSE

29. VARIOUS OF BURNT CAR AND FIRE INSIDE WAREHOUSE

STORY: Almost all of Europe experienced above-average heat in 2