GENEVA, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Multiple reports released on Wednesday paint a stark picture of accelerating climate extremes, with Europe warming faster than any other continent. The findings underscore that climate change has become an urgent reality reshaping ecosystems, economies and human health across Europe, calling for ambitious actions.

"Since 1980, Europe has been warming twice as fast as the global average, making it the fastest warming continent on Earth," Celeste Saulo, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said while presenting the European State of the Climate Report 2025.

FASTEST-WARMING CONTINENT

Europe suffered record or near-record climate extremes in 2025, with heatwaves, wildfires, marine heat and ice loss intensifying across the continent, the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service and the WMO said in the report.

According to the report, at least 95 percent of Europe recorded annual temperatures above average, with prolonged heat spreading from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle. Europe experienced its second-most severe heatwave on record, while sub-Arctic Fennoscandia endured a 21-day heatwave in July -- the longest and most severe ever recorded in the region. Temperatures near and within the Arctic Circle reached or exceeded 30 degrees Celsius.

The findings align with broader Copernicus data showing that 2025 was the third-warmest year on record globally.

Hot and dry conditions fuelled Europe's worst wildfire year on record. Wildfire data in the report showed that about 1.034 million hectares of land, an area larger than Cyprus, were burned in 2025. Wildfire emissions in Europe also reached their highest level on record, with Spain accounting for around half of the continent's total fire emissions.

EXTREMES STRAIN BIODIVERSITY & COMMUNITY

Numerous extreme events in 2025 - including drought, wildfires, and land and marine heatwaves - placed mounting pressure on biodiversity in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Shrinking and shifting habitats, disrupted seasonal cycles and changing precipitation patterns have further intensified stress on nature.

The report highlighted concrete examples of climate change impacts on sensitive ecosystems, such as marine heatwaves damaging seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean Sea and wildfires affecting peatlands, underscoring the growing links between climate and biodiversity loss.

Separate findings from the Global Forest Watch platform showed that climate change-linked forest loss was also significant in Europe in 2025. In France, tree cover loss due to fire reached a record high in 2025 - seven times higher than in 2024. In Spain and Portugal, around 60 percent of all 2025 tree cover loss was caused by wildfires.

Extreme heat also takes a measurable toll on human health and productivity. A joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the WMO has warned that extreme heat is disrupting global agrifood systems, threatening over one billion people. It estimated annual losses of around 500 billion working hours worldwide due to heat stress.

FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu described extreme heat as a "major risk multiplier," exerting mounting pressure on crops, livestock, fisheries, forests, and on communities and economies that depend upon them.

CALL FOR URGENT ACTION

Citing Europe's record heatwaves, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Director-General Florian Pappenberger said: "The 2025 report offers clear, actionable insights to support policy decisions and help the public better understand the changing climate we live in."

The report also points to steps taken by European policymakers, including legally binding EU targets to restore at least 20 percent of land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need by 2050. Broader frameworks such as the European Green Deal and EU Climate Law embed biodiversity protection within climate strategies.

However, despite these initiatives, the report underlined that progress must accelerate.

The European State of the Climate 2025 report "is a stark reminder that we must sustain and accelerate both adaptation and mitigation efforts," said Dusan Chrenek, principal adviser for Digital Green Transition at Directorate-General for Climate Action, adding that Europe should further strengthen its Earth observation capabilities through advanced technologies. ■