{"id":235771,"date":"2026-07-02T23:51:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T23:51:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/europe-experiences-the-clearest-skies-in-half-a-century-contributing-to-this-summers-heat\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T23:51:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T23:51:36","slug":"europe-experiences-the-clearest-skies-in-half-a-century-contributing-to-this-summers-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/europe-experiences-the-clearest-skies-in-half-a-century-contributing-to-this-summers-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe Experiences the Clearest Skies in Half a Century, Contributing to This Summer’s Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Clean Skies of Europe: A Double-Edged Sword<\/h2>\n

This is not another article about heat. It’s July: we all know it’s hot. However, there is a reason behind these high temperatures that we do not usually discuss, and for many people, it is very surprising: the skies over Europe are much cleaner than they have been in the last half century.<\/p>\n

The Rate of Temperature Increase<\/h3>\n

As popularizer Jorge Alcalde explained in COPE, the rise in temperatures in Europe is accelerating “at a rate of 0.56 degrees per decade since the 1990s, almost double the global average of 0.27 degrees.” This discrepancy raises an important question: why are some regions like Europe more affected by global warming?<\/p>\n

Impact of Reduced Pollution<\/h3>\n

Alcalde pointed out that “sending less pollution into the atmosphere contributes to the increase in temperatures on the continent.” With cleaner air, there is a greater amount of solar radiation impacting the ground, leading to a rise in temperatures.<\/p>\n

The Role of Aerosols<\/h3>\n

It’s not that the air generates heat, of course.<\/strong> Rather, the particles released from burning fossil fuels\u2014especially sulfur sulfates\u2014reflect sunlight and make clouds whiter, effectively cooling the atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Data supports this assertion. In a study conducted in Girona, solar radiation reaching the ground has increased by approximately 2.5 W\/m\u00b2 per decade since the late 1980s due to improved regulation against polluting aerosols.<\/p>\n

Multiple Factors at Play<\/h3>\n

However, the drop in pollution is not the sole factor contributing to Europe’s rising temperatures. The Copernicus Climate Change Service attributes this phenomenon to multiple factors, including:<\/p>\n