Summer 2024 was Warmest on Record in Europe

6th September 2024

Last modified on September 8th, 2024

It was at 1.54C above the 1991-2020 long term average and exceeded the previous record from 2022. It has had a severe impact on the glaciers. UPDATED

The figures come from the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

August was also the 13th month in a 14-month period where the global average temperature exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.

Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, according to the World Meteorological Organisation and the European Copernicus network.

The continent has been warming twice as much as the global average since the 1980s.

Across Europe, temperature records have been broken over the summer and it has impacted on summer glacier skiing with the handful of areas that offer it affected.

Warm weather in the Alps continues to take its toll

Summer in Austria. Image © Simon Miller/PlanetSKI

Austria had its warmest summer on record.

Hintertux, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI

Switzerland had its second warmest.

Mont Fort glacier, Verbier. Image © PlanetSKI

The Swiss glacial expert, Matthias Huss, has been posting about the impact on the glaciers of Switzerland across the summer.

The terminus of Vadret da Morteratsch, largest #glacier of Eastern 🇨🇭, has completely changed in just 1 year.
What used to be a gentle edge of the ice has retreated into a vertical 20 m ice wall with a river/lake in front.
Scenic, but another brutal expression of climate change pic.twitter.com/b6BT8yCaLi
— Matthias Huss (@matthias_huss) September 5, 2024

While the heat across Europe was focused to southern and eastern areas, it was cooler across the Republic of Ireland, the UK, western parts of Portugal, Iceland and southern Norway.

Temperatures are now expected to cool down with some ski areas set to open some slopes at the end of September and beginning of October.