Europe hit with second-warmest March on record after February floods

⭐ Join our community and access the best we offer!

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Euronews or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Europe experienced its second-warmest March on record after an exceptionally wet February that caused flooding across parts of the Mediterranean, according to new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service

🔭 The context: March 2026 was also the fourth-warmest globally, with temperatures reaching 1.48°C above pre-industrial levels
• Scientists say rising global sea-surface temperatures indicate a likely shift toward El Niño conditions, which typically raise global temperatures further

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The combination of extreme rainfall followed by unusually warm and dry conditions illustrates growing climate volatility linked to global warming
• Such “weather whiplash” increases the risks of floods, droughts, ecosystem stress and crop losses, highlighting the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels

⏭️ What’s next: Meteorologists expect the developing El Niño event later in 2026 to temporarily raise global temperatures by around 0.1–0.2°C, potentially intensifying extreme weather patterns worldwide

💬 One quote:“Together, they paint a picture of a climate system under sustained and accelerating pressure.” — Carlo Buontempo, European Centre for Medium‑Range Weather Forecasts

📈 One stat: Coal, oil and gas account for around 68% of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90% of carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance — carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies

Click for more news covering the latest on climate change