Global warming hit Europe and the polar regions worst in 2022, while the last eight years were the warmest on record globally, figures from the European Union's climate monitoring service show.
Average temperatures across 2022 make it the fifth warmest year since records began in the 19th century, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Temperatures in Europe increased by twice the average witnessed during the past 30 years, with the region showing the highest rate of increase of any continent on the globe.
France, Britain, Spain and Italy saw new average temperature records for 2022, with Europe as a whole enduring its second hottest year ever, Copernicus said in its annual report.
Year-round heatwaves
“Many people will remember the heatwave that we had over the New Year’s period as well,” said deputy head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Samantha Burgess.
“So, we’re seeing heatwaves, not only in the summer but in the rest of the seasons.
"These events highlight that we are already experiencing the devastating consequences of our warming world."
Europe has had the highest temperature increases of any continent in the last three decades, with the researchers linking this to land areas warming faster than seas.
It is also close to the Arctic, which is warming at four times the worldwide average.
Meanwhile large swathes of the Middle East, China, central Asia and northern Africa also saw unprecedented warmth averaged across the whole of 2022.
(With newswires)
