Europe saw warmest summer on record in 2021

BERLIN (AP) — Scientists say last summer was the hottest summer on record in Europe, with temperatures 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average for the previous three decades. A report released Friday by the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found that while spring 2021 was cooler than average, the summer months were marked by “severe and long-lasting heatwaves.” These saw numerous new temperature records, including an unprecedented 119.8 F measured in Sicily last August. The prolonged high temperatures contributed to wildfires such as those seen in Siberia, Turkey and Greece last year. Experts say the heatwaves also increased the likelihood of heavy rainfall of the kind that led to deadly flooding in Belgium and Germany last July more likely.