Europe should spend now to avoid climate catastrophes

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Europe is warming faster than the world average, creating conditions that are making the Mediterranean region dryer and the north wetter, according to a report studying the impact of global warming on Europe.

Europe is warming faster than the world average, creating conditions that are making the Mediterranean region dryer and the north wetter, according to a report studying the impact of global warming on Europe.

The report, called Impacts of Europe's changing climate, adds that governments need to invest now to adapt to this changing climate to prevent catastrophic losses later.

"Global average temperature has increased almost 0.8 °C (1.4 °F) above pre-industrial levels, with even higher temperature increases in Europe and northern latitudes," says the report, which was authored by the European Environment Agencyand branches of the World Health Organisationand the European Commission. By contrast, Europe has warmed by 1.0 °C.

Europe's mountains, coasts, the Mediterranean and the Arctic are most at risk from global warming, it says.

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