"Economic losses related to weather are estimated to have exceeded €13.4 billion in 2023," the 2023 "State of the Climate" report in Europe released today states, adding that according to preliminary estimates from the International Disaster Database (EM-DAT), 63 people died in storms last year, 44 in floods and another 44 in forest fires.

"The climate crisis is the defining challenge of our time. The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is far greater," lamented the Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Celeste Saulo.

Temperatures in Europe in 2023 were above average for 11 months of the year, and September was the hottest on record.

"September saw the largest monthly temperature anomaly on record, at 0.93ºC above average. It was the first year that every single day was at least 1°C above pre-industrial levels. Almost half of the days were more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, and two days were, for the first time, more than 2°C warmer," indicates the report from the European Copernicus climate change service (C3S) and the WMO.

At the height of the heatwave in July 2023, 41% of southern Europe was affected by "severe heat stress".

From June to September, heatwaves, forest fires, droughts and floods were recorded.

"In 2023, Europe witnessed its largest ever recorded wildfire, (while also) being one of its wettest years on record, with intense marine heatwaves and widespread devastating floods," warned the director of C3S, Carlo Buontempo.

Major fires were recorded in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, which suffered the largest forest fire ever in the European Union (EU), with around 96,000 hectares (ha) burned.

In total, the forest fire season recorded the fourth largest burned area -- 500,000 ha -- since records began in the EU.

Around 1.6 million people were also affected by floods.

In the European region of the World Health Organization, heat-related mortality has increased by around 30% in the last 20 years.

Between 2000 and 2022, it is estimated that heat-related deaths increased in 94% of the European regions monitored, arguing that the effect of hot weather on human health is more pronounced in cities.

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