Last year was the hottest on record in Europe, extending a run of exceptionally warm years driven by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, according to a new study released on Earth Day on Wednesday.
This year looks likely to continue the warming trend. Copernicus data from December 2019 to February 2020 showed that Europe experienced its warmest winter on record. Rather, high pressure weather events helped trigger the scorching heatwaves seen last June and July, when countries including France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands recorded their highest ever temperatures.Concentrations of planet-warming gases in the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane, climbed in 2019 and are now at levels not seen on the Earth for millions of years, the scientists said.