Europe recorded its highest sea surface temperatures on record in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of unprecedented ocean warmth.
That’s according to the latest European State of the Climate report from Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organisation.
The report found that 86 per cent of Europe’s ocean region experienced at least ‘strong’ marine heatwave conditions last year, while more than a third experienced severe or extreme marine heatwaves – the highest proportion ever recorded.
Marine heatwaves are prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures that can disrupt ecosystems, threaten biodiversity and place pressure on fisheries and coastal economies.
The findings are part of a wider picture of a rapidly warming continent.
Europe remains the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with at least 95 per cent of the region experiencing above-average temperatures in 2025. The year also brought record heatwaves from the Mediterranean to the Arctic, shrinking snow cover, glacier loss and widespread drought conditions.
Europe remains the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with at least 95 per cent of the region experiencing above-average temperatures in 2025
Scientists warn that rising ocean temperatures are having far-reaching consequences for marine life.
The Mediterranean Sea has now experienced at least one day of strong marine heatwave conditions every year for the past three years, while warming waters are placing increasing stress on habitats such as seagrass meadows, which play an important role in supporting biodiversity and storing carbon.
On land, the impacts were equally stark. Glaciers across all European regions lost mass, Greenland shed 139 billion tonnes of ice, and around 70 per cent of rivers experienced below-average flows.
More than one million hectares burned in wildfires across Europe, making 2025 the worst year on record for wildfire activity.
‘The pace of climate change demands more urgent action,’ said Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF. ‘Climate change is not a future threat, it is our present reality.’
More information on Copernicus: www.copernicus.euÂ
