"Europe saw its warmest summer on record in 2024"- Climate change delivered 'stark contrasts' say Copernicus
There were 'stark contrasts' in weather across Europe this summer according to the experts at Copernicus Climate Change Service. While Ireland was wetter and cooler than usual, other parts of the continent were found to have suffered record breaking heat stress in C3S's preliminary analysis of key climate variables.
They say temperatures varied in both space and time across Europe in June, July and August. In the northwest we had near-to or below average temperatures while the southeast and northern Fennoscandia had their warmest summer on record.
According to the report, the northeastern Atlantic off the northwest coast of Ireland was also colder than usual. In June we had above average rainfall, while in August it was below average.
READ MORE: NI Water tells when 'unpleasant taste and smell' in Lough Neagh supply will end
Variations in temperatures and rainfall in Ireland led to anomalies in river flow throughout the summer, with some in the north of the country with exceptionally high flows and others in the south, suffering exceptionally low flow. Across the whole of Europe, 35% of rivers were notably or exceptionally low especially in the southeast, while much of central Europe saw exceptionally high average river flows for this time of year.
According to the data, southeastern Europe experienced up to 60% more 'warm daytimes' than average leading to 66 days of 'strong heat stress' which is an indicator of how temperatures affect the human body. The average number of heat stress days during summer is around 29.
READ MORE: Minister Andrew Muir joins Scottish and Welsh counterparts at New York Climate Week
READ MORE: Full list of 48 NI sports clubs in line for EV chargers funded by the Irish Government
Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), said: "Europe saw its warmest summer on record in 2024. The extreme temperatures in regions such as southeastern Europe are impacting the well-being of Europeans, as citizens in this region are experiencing more heat stress than ever before.”
Record breaking sea surface temperatures were also observed in the Mediterranean Sea, reaching their highest daily values on record, with a peak of 28.45°C on 13 August. Large parts of Irish Sea also had much warmer than average temperatures while parts of the Atlantic were cooler than average.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.