From devastating floods in western regions to prolonged, scorching heatwaves in the East<\/a>, Europe faced an onslaught of extreme weather events throughout the year.<\/p>\n The ESOTC 2024, compiled by around 100 scientists, paints a stark picture of a continent in the throes of climate upheaval.<\/p>\n Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at ECMWF, commented: \u201c2024 was the warmest year on record for Europe. We observed the longest heatwave in southeastern Europe and record glacier mass loss in Scandinavia and Svalbard.<\/p>\n \u201cBut 2024 was also a year of marked climate contrasts between eastern and western Europe. The European State of the Climate is a treasure trove of quality information about our changing climate. Learning how to use climate data and information to inform our decisions should become a priority for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n Extreme weather: East-West divide defines 2024<\/p>\n One of the most striking patterns in 2024 was the East-West climate contrast across Europe. Eastern regions endured dry, sunny, and exceptionally warm conditions, while the West grappled with excessive rainfall and cooler, cloudier skies. This disparity was evident across multiple climate indicators, from soil moisture to solar radiation.<\/p>\n The precipitation imbalance contributed to widespread flooding, particularly in central and western Europe. Notably, 30% of Europe\u2019s river network surpassed the \u201chigh\u201d flood threshold, while 12% exceeded \u201csevere\u201d levels, making it the most extensive flooding event since 2013.<\/p>\n The human cost of extreme weather in 2024 was sobering. At least 335 people lost their lives, and more than 413,000 were affected by storms and floods.<\/p>\n Storm Boris<\/a>, which hit central and eastern Europe in September, left a trail of destruction across Germany, Poland, Austria, Hungary, and several other nations. In late October, Valencia, Spain, suffered devastating floods following extreme rainfall.<\/p>\n These events reflect the growing vulnerability of Europe\u2019s infrastructure to climate impacts. The report highlights increasing risks to housing, transportation networks, and energy systems \u2014 areas that require urgent adaptation and resilience strategies<\/a>.<\/p>\n Record heat and rising heat stress<\/p>\n Heatwaves intensified across the continent, with southeastern Europe experiencing the longest heatwave on record \u2014 13 consecutive days in July.<\/p>\n This region also saw record numbers of days with strong heat stress (66) and 23 tropical nights, where temperatures never dipped below 20\u00b0C.<\/p>\n Across Europe, 60% of the landmass experienced more heat stress days than average, contributing to health risks, especially among vulnerable populations.<\/p>\n Night time temperatures remain a growing concern, as they limit the body\u2019s ability to recover from daytime heat, exacerbating the impact on human health.<\/p>\n Shrinking glaciers and rising seas<\/p>\n The retreat of Europe\u2019s glaciers accelerated dramatically in 2024. All monitored regions reported ice loss, with Scandinavia and Svalbard experiencing the highest glacier mass loss on record \u2014 up to 2.7 metres in thickness.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fig01.1_ESOTC_2024_Flooding_flooded_river_network-300x248.png\")
Percentage of the European river network that exceeded the \u2018high\u2019 (orange) and \u2018severe\u2019 (purple) flood thresholds during 1992\u20132024. The average annual percentage of the river network exceeding at least the \u2018high\u2019 threshold (grey line) is around 20%. Data: EFAS. Credit: CEMS\/C3S\/ECMWF.
\nStorms, floods, and fatalities<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/fig02.1_ESOTC_2024_Southeastern_Europe_most_severe_heatwaves_and_2024_heatwaves-272x300.png\")
Credit: DWD\/C3S\/ECMWF<\/p>\n
![\"climate](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/shutterstock_1414055516-300x196.jpg\")
\u00a9shutterstock\/Alexandre Rotenberg<\/p>\n