Europe is warming twice as fast as the planetary average: data from new report

Europe is warming approximately twice as fast as the average rates for the rest of the planet. This is one of the key findings from the "State of the Climate in Europe 2025" report, prepared by the Copernicus service and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The data shows that climate change does not manifest uniformly, as different regions respond in different ways.

2025 is being confirmed as the third warmest year since the beginning of meteorological measurements, with a global average temperature of +1.43°C compared to the pre-industrial period (1850–1900). A significant indicator is that the three-year period of 2023–2025 is the first in which the average global temperature exceeded the critical 1.5°C threshold established in the Paris Agreement. One of the major reasons for the sharp rise in temperatures is the El Niño phenomenon, which contributed an additional warming of about +0.1°C during 2023/24.

Extreme temperatures and new clothing standards

High land temperatures are dictating new rules in various sectors. For example, extreme heat is necessitating new solutions in the manufacturing of uniforms for the armed forces. In 2023, a unified five-color pattern for "Moderate Continental Climate" was introduced for field clothing for all branches of the military, including protocols for thermal protection during extreme heat and cold.

Records are being registered on a global level: 46.6°C was measured in Portugal, and 50.5°C in the Asian part of Turkey. Extreme rainfall led to serious flooding in Asia, the USA, and Europe, with flooding in the Black Sea region caused by the Mediterranean cyclone Barbara.

Ocean warming and ice masses

Global warming is being amplified by record ocean heating. In 2025, the rate of heat accumulation in the oceans is more than twice as high compared to the second half of the 20th century. In 2024 and 2025 alone, the world ocean absorbed heat that is 200 times more than the total electricity produced in the world in 2024. The average sea surface temperature of the global ocean is 0.6°C above levels from 1980 onwards, while for the seas around Europe, warming reaches +1.1°C, and for the Mediterranean Sea, it reaches +1.4°C.

Parallel to this, a serious reduction in ice masses is being observed. The snow cover area in the Northern Hemisphere is the third lowest in history. In 2025, the average area of Arctic sea ice is the second lowest, and that of Antarctic sea ice is the third lowest value in history. The loss of mass from glaciers during the 2024/2025 period is approximately 430 gigatons – a volume sufficient to cover the territory of Bulgaria with nearly 4 meters of water.

Impact on Bulgaria and future forecasts

Bulgaria is already feeling the consequences of these changes through extreme weather events. The summer of 2025 in the country was the third hottest since 1930, and the drought was the most severe for the same period. In Southwestern Bulgaria, heatwaves with temperatures above 40°C were registered, with a peak of 43.5°C noted in Montana.

Climate forecasts remain challenging. There is about a 90% probability that a new El Niño cycle will begin during the summer. If this event is strong or particularly strong, 2026 is expected to be the hottest year to date, and a new sharp temperature jump is expected to be observed in 2027.