{"text":[[{"start":8.75,"text":"Continental glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet would continue to shrink in coming years, scientists said, after data showing Europe had warmed twice as fast as the global average."}],[{"start":19.85,"text":"Military and commercial ships, particularly from Russia, have in recent years stepped up their activity in the region that is one day expected to be ice-free during the summer. "}],[{"start":28.950000000000003,"text":"The EU’s Earth observation service Copernicus and the World Meteorological Organization drew on work from more than 100 scientists for the annual “state of the climate” report."}],[{"start":39.7,"text":"“The loss of ice mass throughout the century will continue,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This could expose people “across the planet” to flooding risk, with each 1cm in sea level rise thought to expose 6mn people to coastal flooding. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":56.95,"text":"The European continent is warming more quickly than the rest of the planet, and the Arctic is heating at an even faster rate as a result of the reduction of the so-called albedo effect, where snow and ice reflect sunlight back into space while the exposed darker ground absorbs heat."}],[{"start":72.25,"text":"Loss of mass by Europe’s glaciers was particularly apparent in Iceland, Svalbard and the periphery of Greenland, the report said. "}],[{"start":81.2,"text":"The ice sheet that covers most of Greenland lost about 139bn tonnes of ice in the year to August 2025, or about 1.5 times the amount stored in all the glaciers in the European Alps. "}],[{"start":95.10000000000001,"text":"The sheet contains enough fresh water to raise sea levels by more than 7 metres. Last year’s melt raised the global average sea level by 0.4mm. "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":106.65,"text":"The number of European winter days with temperatures that were at freezing point or below fell last year. "}],[{"start":112.7,"text":"At the same time, the continent experienced 5 per cent more sunshine than average in 2025. "}],[{"start":118.9,"text":"The report highlights ways in which clean energy systems are sensitive to the effects of climate change."}],[{"start":125.10000000000001,"text":"The sunnier conditions — along with more solar panel installations — drove a record for solar energy, which contributed 12.5 per cent to Europe’s electricity production compared to 10.3 per cent in 2024. Solar and wind energy produced more of Europe’s electricity than fossil fuels for the first time last year."}],[{"start":144.3,"text":"However, the loss of water from snowmelt as overall snow and ice ground cover is reduced can pose difficulties for hydropower generation."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":153.20000000000002,"text":"Last year was the third warmest on record across the world. This year the effects of man-made climate change on the climate could be turbocharged in the short term by the cyclical Pacific Ocean warming phenomenon known as El Niño, which affects weather around the world."}],[{"start":168.9,"text":"Seasonal forecasts compiled by Copernicus suggest that an El Niño could develop from late next month. But its scientists refused to be drawn on reports of a “super” El Niño. "}],[{"start":180.65,"text":"“The amplitude — whether modest, strong or very strong — cannot be reliably determined yet,” Buontempo said. “Forecasts that project a specific category of event at this point go beyond what the science currently warrants.” "}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":203.1,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1777449632_7460.mp3"}