ADVERTISEMENT Last year was the warmest year on record both in Europe and globally, with temperatures exceeding all previous levels since 1850. Globally, the last ten years also mark the warmest decade on record. Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with the temperature having risen at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, according to the European State of the Climate report. Several studies show that the growing frequency of heatwaves is already having significant