Climate of Europe#Climate targets

{{main|Gulf Stream}}

{{see also|North Atlantic Drift}}

File:Gulfstream.jpg's path and its related branches]]

File:Lluvia-Europa-Rainfall.png

File:Sol-Europa-Sunshine.png

The climate of western Europe is strongly conditioned by the Gulf Stream, which keeps mild air (for the latitude) over Northwestern Europe in the winter months, especially in Ireland, the United Kingdom and coastal Norway. In terms of monthly sunshine averages, much of temperate Europe sees considerably less than the northern United States and eastern Asia.

The climate of Western Europe is milder in comparison to other areas of the same latitude around the globe due to the influence of the Gulf Stream. Western Europe is at the same latitude as parts of Canada and Russia, thus solar insulation is weak much of the year. Mediterranean waters are not as deep as the large oceans, allowing it to become a heat storage tempering winters along its coastlines, but because the Atlantic Ocean is largely influenced by the gulf stream, this effect is reduced when compared to that of the Atlantic waters.{{cite web|url=http://www.asparis.net/lowerschool/2dgrade/maps/climate/europe.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723020158/http://www.asparis.net/lowerschool/2dgrade/maps/climate/europe.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2011-07-23|title=European Climate|work=World Book|access-date=2011-02-15|publisher=World Book, Inc}} The Gulf Stream is nicknamed "Europe's central heating", because it makes Europe's climate warmer and wetter than it would otherwise be.

Compared to areas located in the higher middle latitudes, parts of western Europe have milder winters and higher annual temperatures (though summers are cooler than locations at the same latitude). Berlin, Germany; Calgary, Canada; and Irkutsk, in the Asian part of Russia, lie on around the same latitude; January temperatures in Berlin average around 8 °C (15 °F) higher than those in Calgary (although Calgary sits 1200m higher in altitude), and they are almost 22 °C (40 °F) higher than average temperatures in Irkutsk.

This difference is even larger on the northern part of the continent. The January average in Brønnøysund, Norway,[http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N65E012+1202+0003665G2 Brønnøysund] is almost 15 °C warmer than the January average in Nome, Alaska,[http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/data.pl?ref=N64W165+1102+70200W Nome] both towns are situated upwind on the west coast of the continents at 65°N, and as much as 42 °C warmer than the January average in Yakutsk which is actually slightly further south.

Within mainland Spain, the arid climate appears predominantly in Almería.{{Cite web|url=http://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos|title=Almería Aeropuerto: Almería Aeropuerto - Agencia Estatal de Meteorología - AEMET. Gobierno de España|first=Agencia Estatal de|last=Meteorología|website=www.aemet.es}} This climate extends to the Andarax and Almanzora river valleys, the Punta Entinas-Sabinar Natural Park and the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, which are also known for having also a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) and a hot semi-desert climate (Köppen: BSh), with a precipitation amount of {{convert|156|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} and an average temperature of {{convert|19.1|°C|0|abbr=on}}{{cite web |url=https://digitum.um.es/xmlui/bitstream/10201/2278/1/105410.pdf?sequence=1 |title=LOS CLIMAS SECOS DE ESPAÑA SEGUN EL SISTEMA DE KOPPEN |date=1987 |website=digitum.um.es |format=PDF|access-date=2020-08-17}} which is reportedly the driest place in Europe.Capel Molina, J.J. (1995) Mapa pluviométrico de España Peninsular y Baleares (en el periodo internacional 1961-1990) Investigaciones Geográficas nº 13: 29-466ISSN 0213-4691 [http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/fichero_articulo?codigo=111619&orden=68481 pdf] Idioma: español. Acceso: 3/7/2009.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-21 |title=Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/149857/cabo-de-gata-nijar-natural-park |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2022-07-11 |title=Almería’s Sea of Greenhouses |url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150070/almerias-sea-of-greenhouses |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=earthobservatory.nasa.gov |language=en}}

File:Difference between high and low temperature records.png

Most of Europe sees seasonal temperatures consistent with temperate climates in other parts of the world, though summers north of the Mediterranean Sea are cooler than most temperate climates experience in summer (for example summers in the temperate sector of the northern United States are much hotter in summer than Europe).{{cn|date=August 2023}} Among the cities with a population over 100,000 people in Europe, the coldest winters are mostly found in Russia, with daily highs in winter averaging {{convert|0|C|F}},{{Cite web |title=Pogoda.ru.net (In Russian) |url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate/23226.htm |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=Weather and Climate (Погода и климат)}} while the mildest winters in the continent are in southern Portugal, southern Spain, in Sicily (Italy) and southern Greek islands such as Crete, Rhodes, Karpathos and Kasos.{{cn|date=August 2023}}

The hottest summers on the continent occur in cities and towns in the interior of southern Spain, located within the Guadalquivir Valley.{{Cite web |title=Why is the Guadalquivir valley one of the hottest inhabited places on the planet? (In Spanish) |url=https://www.eldiario.es/andalucia/el_tiempo/valle-guadalquivir-lugares-habitados-calurosos-planeta_1_8269175.html |access-date=2024-01-09 |website=elDiario.es}} Average highs in July and August varies from 36°C (97°F) in the city of Seville to above {{convert|37|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in Córdoba and up to {{convert|39|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in Montoro,{{cite web|url=https://opendata.aemet.es/centrodedescargas/productosAEMET?|title=AEMET OpenData}} also in the province of Córdoba.{{Cite web |last=Meteorología |first=Agencia Estatal de |title=Valores climatológicos normales - Agencia Estatal de Meteorología - AEMET. Gobierno de España |url=https://www.aemet.es/es/serviciosclimaticos/datosclimatologicos/valoresclimatologicos |access-date=2024-04-22 |website=www.aemet.es |language=es}}

The highest extreme temperatures have been recorded in Syracuse, Italy, with {{Convert|48.8|C|F}},{{Cite web |title=WMO confirms verification of new continental European temperature record |url=https://wmo.int/media/news/wmo-confirms-verification-of-new-continental-european-temperature-record |access-date=2024-04-03 |website=wmo.int}} Athens and Elefsina, Greece, with {{convert|48.0|C|F}}{{cite web|url=https://wmo.asu.edu/content/europe-highest-temperature|title=WMO Region VI (Europe, Continent only): Highest Temperature|publisher=World Meteorological Organisation|access-date=8 November 2020}} and inside the southern valleys of the Iberian Peninsula, with towns such as La Rambla, Cordoba (Spain) and Amareleja (Portugal) recording temperatures of {{convert|47.6|C|F}}{{cite web |url=https://aemetblog.es/2022/08/02/14-de-agosto-de-2021se-batio-el-record-de-temperatura-mas-alta-registrada-en-espana |title=14 de agosto de 2021,se batió el récord de temperatura más alta registrada en España |date=2 August 2022 |publisher=Agencia Estatal de Meteorología |language=es |access-date=2 August 2022}} and {{convert|47.4|C|F}}[https://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/extremos.clima/ Extremes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621130444/http://www.ipma.pt/pt/oclima/extremos.clima |date=21 June 2017}} Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, IPMA respectively.

Heat waves across the continent can be deadly and consequential events, capable of contracting the European economy by 0.3–0.5%.{{cite journal|journal=Journal Communications|title=Current and projected regional economic impacts of heatwaves in Europe|author=David García-León|author2=Ana Casanueva|author3=Gabriele Standardi|author4=Annkatrin Burgstall|author5=Andreas D. Flouris |author6=Lars Nybo |date=October 4, 2021|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-26050-z}} In the summer of 2003, there was a severe heatwave across Europe, considered the warmest summer on the continent since 1540. The heat and drought killed 72,210 people across 15 countries, making it the sixth deadliest disaster worldwide in the first two decades of the 21st century. Most of the deaths occurred in Italy and France. Several nationwide temperature records were broken during the heatwave, with a peak temperature of {{convert|44.1|C|F|abbr=on}} recorded in France on August 12.{{cite journal|title=Did European temperatures in 1540 exceed present-day records?|date=November 15, 2016|author=Rene Orth, Martha M Vogel, Jürg Luterbacher, Christian Pfister, and Sonia I Seneviratne|journal= Environmental Research Letters|volume=11|number=11|url=https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/11/114021}}{{cite report|title=Human Cost of Disasters: An Overview of the Last 20 Years 2000-2019|publisher=United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs|accessdate=November 6, 2023|url=https://www.unisdr.org/files/1145_ewheatwave.en.pdf|format=PDF}}{{cite web|title=Europe Awaits Record-Smashing June Heat Wave|publisher=Weather Underground|author=Bob Henson|date=June 20, 2019|url=https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Europe-Awaits-Record-Smashing-June-Heat-Wave|accessdate=November 6, 2023}}

{{Excerpt|Climate change in Europe}}

{{main|List of European tornadoes and tornado outbreaks}}

The Netherlands has the highest average number of recorded tornadoes per area of any country in the world (more than 20, or 0.0005 per km²), annually), followed by the UK (around 33, or 0.0001 per km²), per year),{{cite journal|author=J Holden, A Wright|title=UK tornado climatology and the development of simple prediction tools|journal= Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society|volume=130|issue=598|pages=1009–1021|date=2003-03-13|url=http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.holden/paper80.pdf|doi=10.1256/qj.03.45|access-date=2009-12-13|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070824151103/http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/j.holden/paper80.pdf|archive-date = 2007-08-24 |bibcode=2004QJRMS.130.1009H|citeseerx=10.1.1.147.4293|s2cid=18365306 }}{{cite web|author=Staff|title=Natural Disasters: Tornadoes|work=BBC Science and Nature|publisher=BBC|date=2002-03-28|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/naturaldisasters/hurricanes.shtml |access-date=2009-12-13 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20021014233047/http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/naturaldisasters/hurricanes.shtml |archive-date = 2002-10-14}} but most are small and cause minor damage. In absolute number of events, ignoring area, the UK experiences more tornadoes than any other European country, excluding waterspouts.{{cite journal |author=Nikolai Dotzek |date=2003-03-20 |title=An updated estimate of tornado occurrence in Europe |journal=Atmospheric Research |volume=67 |pages=153–161 |url=http://www.essl.org/people/dotzek/pdf/ecss02s.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070614014358/http://www.essl.org/people/dotzek/pdf/ecss02s.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-06-14 |access-date=2009-12-13 |bibcode=2003AtmRe..67..153D |doi=10.1016/S0169-8095(03)00049-8 }} Europe uses its own tornado scale, known as the TORRO scale, which ranges from a T0 for extremely weak tornadoes to T11 for the most powerful known tornadoes.{{cite web|url=http://www.torro.org.uk/TORRO/ECSS_Slide_Show/2004%20SPAIN%20ECSS%20Post-FINAL%20slide%20show.html |title=Wind Scales: Beaufort, T — Scale, and Fujita's Scale |author=Meaden, Terrance |publisher=Tornado and Storm Research Organisation |year=2004 |access-date=2009-09-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100430211910/http://www.torro.org.uk/TORRO/ECSS_Slide_Show/2004%20SPAIN%20ECSS%20Post-FINAL%20slide%20show.html |archive-date=2010-04-30 }}

File:Alpha and Ianos 2020-09-18.jpg (left) and Cyclone Ianos (right) both affecting Europe in September 2020]]

{{main|List of Europe tropical cyclones}}

Atlantic hurricanes regularly effect Europe after they enter the midlatitudes and transition into an extratropical cyclone. As Post-tropical cyclones, they are typically more intense than other European windstorms that affect the continent. In September 1961, former Hurricane Debbie produced wind gusts of {{convert|98|kn|km/h mph|order=out|abbr=on}} at Malin Head in Ireland, which was the highest-ever wind gust on the island.{{cite journal|date=September 26, 2022|title=Why Do Some Post-Tropical Cyclones Impact Europe?|author=Elliott M. Sainsbury|author2=Reinhard K. H. Schiemann|author3=Kevin I. Hodges|author4=Alexander J. Baker|author5=Len C. Shaffrey|author6=Kieran T. Bhatia|url=https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/mwre/150/10/MWR-D-22-0111.1.xml|journal=Monthly Weather Review|volume=150|number=10}}{{Cite journal |last=Graham |first=Edward |last2=Smart |first2=David |date=September 2021 |title=‘Hurricane’ Debbie – 60 years on: a fresh analysis |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wea.4051 |journal=Weather |language=en |volume=76 |issue=9 |pages=284–292 |doi=10.1002/wea.4051 |issn=0043-1656|url-access=subscription }} On two occasions, a tropical or subtropical cyclone made landfall on the European mainland. In October 2005, Tropical Depression Vince hit southern Spain, producing wind gusts as strong as {{cvt|77|km/h}} in Rota, Cádiz, while rainfall reached {{cvt|84|mm}} in Córdoba Province.{{cite report|author=James L. Franklin|title=Hurricane Vince Tropical Cyclone Report|publisher=National Hurricane Center|date=2006-02-22|access-date=2013-06-10|format=PDF|url=http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL242005_Vince.pdf|archive-date=2015-10-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002011818/http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL242005_Vince.pdf|url-status=live}} In September 2020, Subtropical Storm Alpha struck Portugal, causing one death, and damage estimated at €20 million (US$24.2 million).{{cite web|url=https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL242020_Alpha.pdf|work=Tropical Cyclone Report|title=Subtropical Storm Alpha|author=Daniel P. Brown|date=January 28, 2021|publisher=National Hurricane Center|access-date=February 2, 2021|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624190954/https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL242020_Alpha.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=11 February 2021|title=Catástrofes naturais custaram a Portugal mais de 50 milhões de euros em 2020|url=https://www.tsf.pt/portugal/sociedade/amp/catastrofes-naturais-custaram-a-portugal-mais-de-50-milhoes-de-euros-em-2020-13340114.html|access-date=14 May 2021|website=www.tsf.pt|publisher=TSF|language=Portuguese}} Occasionally, tropical-like cyclones in the Mediterranean affect southern Europe. In September 2020 while Alpha was approaching Portugal, Cyclone Ianos struck Greece, producing wind gusts of {{convert|195|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, and damage estimated at €85 million (U$100 million).{{cite journal |author1=Lagouvardos, K.|author2=Karagiannidis, A.|author3=Dafis, S.|author4=Kalimeris, A.|author5=Kotroni, V.|title=Ianos - A hurricane in the Mediterranean |journal=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society |volume=102|issue=9|pages=E1621–E1636|publisher=American Meteorological Society|date=28 September 2021|doi=10.1175/BAMS-D-20-0274.1|s2cid=244187015 |doi-access=free}}{{cite web|title=Global Catastrophe Recap - September 2020|url=https://www.aon.com/reinsurance/getmedia/371b885e-a3aa-49f5-b9f7-7b25822d2c3f/20200810_analytics-if-september-global-recap.pdf.aspx|work=Aon Benfield|date=8 October 2020|access-date=23 February 2024|page=6}} In September 2023, rains from Storm Daniel caused severe flooding across Greece, killing 17 people and leaving severe damage estimated at €2 billion (US$2.17 billion).{{cite news |last1=Maltezou |first1=Renee |title=Greek PM to call for reforms, fiscal prudence after deadly storm |date=16 September 2023 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greek-pm-call-reforms-fiscal-prudence-after-deadly-storm-sources-2023-09-16/ |work=Reuters |access-date=16 September 2023 |archive-date=16 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916131747/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/greek-pm-call-reforms-fiscal-prudence-after-deadly-storm-sources-2023-09-16/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ft.com/content/b46d34c0-fef8-45f2-8930-a01c10b4d13a |title=Extreme flooding caused by Storm Daniel devastates Greece |publisher=Financial Times |date=8 September 2023 |access-date=9 September 2023 |archive-date=9 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230909131644/https://www.ft.com/content/b46d34c0-fef8-45f2-8930-a01c10b4d13a |url-status=live }}

• Arctic oscillation
• North Atlantic oscillation
• Cold drop
• Climate change in Europe
• 2003 European heat wave
• 2018 European heat wave
• List of European cities by average temperature
• List of cities in Europe by precipitation
• List of cities in Europe by sunshine duration

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{{Reflist|2}}

• {{Cite magazine |last=Seager |first=Richard |date=July–August 2006 |title=The Source of Europe's Mild Climate |url=https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-source-of-europes-mild-climate |magazine=American Scientist |volume=94 |issue=4 |page=334 |doi=10.1511/2006.60.334 |postscript=. Subhead: "The notion that the Gulf Stream is responsible for keeping Europe anomalously warm turns out to be a myth".}}

{{Europe topic|Climate of}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of Europe}}