Climate models project significant AMOC weakening and rising European temperatures

Recent scientific studies and observations indicate accelerating impacts of human-induced climate change. A study by Valentin Portmann et al., utilizing over 30 climate models, projects that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could weaken by approximately 50% by the end of this century. This weakening is driven by rising water temperatures and increased freshwater influx from melting ice and rain, which reduce surface water density.

In Europe, climate shifts are already manifesting through extreme weather. In Austria, recent data from GeoSphere Austria shows temperatures significantly exceeding historical averages, with the summer of 2026 noted as one of the driest on record. Climate researcher Gerhard Wotawa warns that subtropical climate zones are expanding northward, bringing conditions similar to those in Anatolia to regions like Vienna. Meanwhile, Greece has faced severe storms as part of these shifting patterns.