Why is Europe the world’s fastest warming continent?
Europe is currently experiencing record-breaking heatwaves, making it the fastest-warming continent in the world. The region has warmed by approximately 2.4 degrees Celsius since preindustrial times, significantly more than the global average. Factors such as shifts in atmospheric circulation and the rapid warming of the Arctic contribute to this alarming trend.
- ▪Europe has recorded unprecedented high temperatures for May, particularly in Britain, Ireland, and France.
- ▪A heat dome from northern Africa is causing temperatures typically seen only in high summer.
- ▪The Arctic is warming at a rate of 3.2 degrees Celsius compared to preindustrial times, impacting Europe’s climate.
- ▪High-pressure systems have become more common in Europe, leading to more frequent and intense heatwaves.
- ▪The reduction of aerosol emissions has inadvertently contributed to global warming by allowing more solar radiation to reach the surface.
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Why is Europe the world’s fastest warming continent?Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxShifts in atmospheric circulation have driven more frequent and more intense heatwaves in the European summer, according to Copernicus.PHOTO: REUTERSPublished May 27, 2026, 09:12 AMUpdated May 27, 2026, 09:12 AMPARIS - Europe, which is in the throes of a record-smashing heatwave this week, is the world’s fastest-warming continent and stretches into an even more rapidly heating Arctic.After record high temperatures for May were broken in Britain, Ireland and France on May 25 and May 26, the continent still faces more brutal heat in the coming days.A so-called “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the sort of…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.