Ah, October. The month of rain, cold weather, and hiding inside. No sorry, scrap that; October was the month of… sunshine and droughts?
While we here in the Netherlands have all gotten used to cold October weather and dreary autumn days, this October was one to remember.
Recorded as being the hottest October in Europe ever, temperatures were two degrees higher than the European average recorded between 1991 to 2020, reports the EU agency Copernicus Climate Change Service.
Sun, droughts, and a whole lotta rain
With higher-than-average temperatures across Europe, many countries faced droughts. In the Spanish Doñana Nature Reserve, the droughts have caused wetlands to dry up completely.
But, in other countries, there was more rain than usual. We can attest to that one; it felt like our umbrellas never got the chance to get dry in the Dutch weather this October. 🙄☔
October 2022 beats October 2020
The previous heat record for the hottest October was in 2020, but this high temperature was beaten last month by 0.5 degrees.
However, Europe wasn’t the only part of the world to beat heat records. In Canada, a heat record was also measured, and temperatures were higher in Greenland and Siberia.
In countries such as Russia, Australia, and parts of Antarctica though, it was colder than the average this October.
Europe is on a get-hot-fast mission
Europe has been getting warmer significantly faster than other continents. The UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pointed out that temperatures in Europe have risen faster than other parts of the world over the last 30 years.
In a report by the EU climate agency Copernicus, it was revealed that temperatures in Europe have risen twice as fast as compared to other continents.
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