Scientists warn about heat in Europe: summers are expected to become increasingly extreme

Scientists are describing the intense heatwave that hit Europe and the United Kingdom during May and June as further clear evidence of the effects of climate change.

A BBC analysis estimates that the temperature records set this year show that Europe is entering a phase in which summer seasons will become increasingly hotter.

During June, a number of European countries recorded temperature highs for this period, while in some of them the thermometer climbed above 40 degrees Celsius. In the United Kingdom, the temperature reached 37.7°C, breaking records that had stood for decades.

According to specialists, climate change caused by human activity has made heatwaves appear more often, become more intense and last longer. Alongside the daytime heat, nights are also being recorded as warmer, making it harder for the body to recover from high temperatures.

According to scientists, Europe is the continent warming at the fastest rate in the world. This trend is being driven by melting ice and snow, reduced particle pollution in the atmosphere, as well as rising sea temperatures.

The warming of the waters around Europe is also expected to play a role in intensifying future heatwaves, as warm water retains heat for longer and weakens the cooling effect of winds coming from the sea.

Scientists stress that these heat episodes will become even more severe if global greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced. According to them, summers will not necessarily be hotter every year than the previous ones, but the long-term direction remains clear: average temperatures in Europe will continue to rise.