The study also found that all seasons of the year across Europe in 2019 were warmer than average; some parts of the continent had daily average temperatures up to 9 degrees Celsius higher than regular levels during the summer months.
Even though 2019 was the hottest year on record for Europe, it’s more important to focus attention on the continent’s long-term heating, according to C3S Director Carlo Buontempo.
“One exceptional warm year does not constitute a warming trend, but to have detailed information from our operational service, that covers many different aspects of our climate, we are able to connect the dots to learn more about how it is changing,” he said, AFP reported.
The study also found that the European Arctic experienced surface air temperatures over sea and land in 2019 that were 0.9 degrees Celsius above average.
“Temperatures over the Arctic last year were 0.9°C above average, but were relatively cold compared to recent years, and sea ice – although also lower than average – covered a larger area than that recorded in six of the preceding seven years,” Freja Vamborg, senior climate scientist at C3S, is quoted as saying in the report.
“Despite southern and western parts of Europe experiencing both floods and droughts, precipitation was overall close to average, and as a whole 2019 was an average year for wildfires.”
The findings also revealed that the global five-year average surface air temperature has seen a 1.1-degree Celsius increase since the pre-industrial era.
“Measurements of greenhouse gases tell a similar story, with global concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen dioxide following the familiar rising trends established over recent decades,” the report adds.
