2022 was hottest year on record in Europe and Middle East

Globally, the year was the fifth warmest since 1950

A glacier on the coast of Ilulissat province in Greenland. Unsplash

Last year was the hottest on record in many part of the world, including large parts of Europe and the Middle East, according to the European Union's Earth Observation Programme.

Data analysed by Copernicus showed 2022 was the fifth warmest year worldwide since 1950.

There were prolonged heatwaves and floods in many areas, as well as historically high temperatures in both polar regions.

Drought in Europe - in pictures

Boats are stuck in the dried-up bed of the drought-hit Doubs river on the border with France in Les Brenets, Switzerland. Reuters

People look at the dried-up Saut du Doubs waterfall in Les Brenets, Switzerland. Reuters

Young plants grow in the dried mud of the exposed bed of the Rhine near Pfalzgrafenstein Castle in Kaub, Germany. Bloomberg

A cow stands in a dried-out field in Villeneuve-en-Retz, as a record drought hits France. Reuters

Italy's dried-up River Po, which has been suffering from the worst drought in 70 years. Reuters

Sunflowers suffer from the lack of water in Beaumont du Gatinais, France. AP

A farmer pumps water in a river near Wellin, southern Belgium. EPA

Cows graze in drought-stricken fields near Les Brenets, Switzerland. AFP

Cracked earth surrounds a lake with low water levels on a buffalo reserve in Morahalom, Hungary. Bloomberg

“The regions that saw the warmest year on record include large parts of western Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and China, South Korea, New Zealand, north-western Africa and the Horn of Africa,” said Copernicus.

The last eight years have been the warmest since records began, according to the programme.

Although 2022 was the fifth warmest year overall, the temperatures for the fourth to the eighth hottest years are very close, it said.

The annual average temperature was 0.3°C above the reference period of 1991-2020, which is about 1.2°C higher than the period 1850-1900.

In March, the Antarctic experienced an intense warm period, with temperatures well above average, Copernicus said.

Climate change around the world - in pictures

Engineers carry solar panels on to the roof of a property in Barcelona in September 2022. Spain and other Mediterranean countries have generated record amounts of power from wind and solar farms. Bloomberg

Smoke rises from brick factory stacks in Nahrawan, Baghdad. Tackling emissions from heavy industry is crucial to tackling global warming. Reuters

A boy stands near a flock of sheep as a sandstorm approaches in the Syrian countryside of Tabqa. Syria is among the countries most vulnerable and poorly prepared for climate change, which is expected to worsen. AFP

Mountains of smouldering rubbish at the Bhalswa landfill in New Delhi, India. Reuters

Greenpeace activists take part in a climate change protest in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in May. AP

A man carries water bottles across the heavily polluted Negro River in Manaus, Brazil. About 35 tonnes of rubbish are removed daily from the river. AP

A helicopter drops water on a brush fire in California. Bloomberg

UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa speaks on the opening day of the Bonn climate change conference in Germany. Getty

Activists take part in a demonstration to raise awareness of global warming, during an event to mark World Environment Day in Kolkata. AFP

A helicopter drops water on a bushfire near a residential district in Athens. The fire forced residents to flee. AFP

A gauge measures water levels in the Rio Nambe river, in New Mexico. Ninety per cent of the state is experiencing extreme drought. Getty

Afghan refugees search for recyclable material from heaps of rubbish in Karachi, Pakistan. AP

A climate activist ties herself to the net during the semi-final tennis match between Croatia's Marin Cilic and Norway's Casper Ruud at the French Open in Roland Garros in Paris. AP

A dance group performs at a climate summit in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty

US climate envoy John Kerry talks to a delegate at the Stockholm 50 climate summit. Getty

A boat is stranded during low tide at the Chebayesh marsh in Dhi Qar province, Iraq. Reuters

A woman crosses a polluted river in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA

A man walks past an abandoned boat in the bed of a drought-affected reservoir on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen. EPA

It added: “At Vostok station, in the interior of east Antarctica, for example, the reported temperature reached -17.7°C, the warmest ever measured in its 65-year record.”

“The Antarctic saw unusually low sea ice conditions throughout the year, with six months seeing record or near-record low Antarctic Sea ice extents for the corresponding month.

“During the latter half of February, Antarctic daily sea ice extent reached a record low, bypassing the previous minimum reached in 2017.”

During September, temperatures in the centre of Greenland were 8°C higher than average. And almost the entire country experienced temperatures that month that were higher than since at least 1979, due to unusually warm southerly winds.

The summer was the hottest on record for Europe, and the year overall was the second warmest for the continent, exceeded by 2020 and slightly warmer than 2019, 2015 and 2014.

Copernicus said: “The unusual warmth in late spring and summer in Europe combined with a lack of rain, clear skies and dry soils, brought drought conditions, especially to the southern and central parts of the continent. Many countries reported impacts on agriculture, river transport and energy management.”

The UK’s Met Office recently announced 2022 was the warmest on record in the UK, where the average annual temperature topped 10°C for the first time.

People sit on sun-scorched grass in Greenwich Park, south-east London. in the summer of 2022. AFP

All four UK nations set new records, with England experiencing the highest average temperature at 10.94°C, followed by Wales at 10.23°C, Northern Ireland at 9.85°C and Scotland at 8.50°C.

A drought was declared in August in much of London and across swathes of England, leading to the implementation of hosepipe bans.

In Europe, prolonged dry conditions led to wildfires.

Copernicus said: “Extremely dry conditions also led to increased fire danger resulting in unusually high fire activity in south-western Europe, especially France and Spain.”

Pakistan also suffered from a prolonged heatwave, as well as record-breaking rainfall leading to large-scale flooding over large parts of the country, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life.

Flooding in Pakistan in 2022 - in pictures

Nearly a third of Pakistan is flooded — an area the size of the United Kingdom — following months of record monsoon rains, which have killed 1,300 people and wreaked havoc. AFP

Makeshift tents for people displaced due to the floods, which were caused by heavy monsoon rains in Sohbatpur, Balochistan, Pakistan. AFP

People have been left to wade through floodwaters in order to return home in Dadu District, Sindh Province. AFP

Women carry belongings salvaged from their flooded home in the Qambar Shahdadkot District of Sindh Province. AP

Pakistani railway workers repair the track in flooded areas in Sehwan, Sindh Province. EPA

Families gather outside their tents at a makeshift camp in Sukkur, Sindh Province. AFP

Men perform ablution with the flood water in Bajara village, at the banks of Manchar Lake, Sehwan. Reuters

Nur Mohammad has taken refuge at a school after the rains in Jacobabad, Sindh Province. AFP

A girl carries her sibling as she walks through floodwaters in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Reuters

A Pakistan soldier drops tents and food aid from a helicopter in Jaffarabad District, Balochistan Province. AFP

People wait for relief supplies being dropped by Pakistan army helicopters. AFP

Roads across the country have been damaged by floodwaters, including a vital route in Kalam Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. AP

A Pakistan Air Force doctor examines a patient displaced by the floods at a makeshift medical camp in Rajanpur District, Punjab Province. AFP

A family sit with their belongings as floodwaters rise in Sohbatpur, in Jaffarabad District. Reuters

Makeshift tents in Sohbatpur. AFP

People affected by floods move to higher ground on the outskirts of Quetta, Balochistan Province. EPA

Displaced people join a food queue at a tent city set up by the Government of Sindh, Hyderabad. EPA

Children attend classes in Sukkur. AP

She said: “These events highlight that we are already experiencing the devastating consequences of our warming world.

“The latest 2022 Climate Highlights from [Copernicus] provides clear evidence that avoiding the worst consequences will require society to both urgently reduce carbon emissions and swiftly adapt to the changing climate.”

Data suggests Europe may break more records this winter, after scientists warned that mild temperatures in parts of Europe are an extreme weather event caused by climate change, on a par with the heatwaves that hit the continent last summer.

Temperatures close to 19°C were recorded in the Polish capital Warsaw on New Year's Day, while across the border in Belarus, they reached 16.4°C, which is 4.5°C higher than the previous record.

In Paris, temperatures were 5.5°C higher than average between December 19 and January 2.