This month in Climate Now we explore how the Greek capital of Athens is adapting to a warmer world.It comes as the latest data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that worldwide we just had the warmest June on record.Globally temperatures last month were just over 0.5 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.Looking at the map of European anomalies - Ireland, the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands had their warmest June on record.Meanwhile, it was colder than average across Türkiye, Greece, parts of the Balkans and Russia.One of the main factors driving the global heat record is that the surface of the sea is warmer.
A map from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows there were exceptionally high sea surface temperatures over the North Atlantic, with extreme highs around the British Isles.The water peaked at five degrees above average to the west of Ireland - hitting temperatures you'd normally expect at the end of summer, rather than in June.Several factors are likely to have contributed to the warmer water - lower winds, lower particle pollution, and the long-term effects of climate change.The Greek capital is right in the middle of a heatwave at the moment, with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius.With white buildings stretching to the horizon, Athens is one of the most densely built cities in Europe, and also the warmest, with a marked 'urban heat island' effect.However, Athens is also considered a leader in adapting to a warmer world.
The city's Chief Heat Officer, Elissavet Bargiani, explains the motivation for change, telling Euronews that the global warming outlook for her home town is grim."If you see the projections for the next few decades