Pakistan, June 26 -- Scientists have concluded that human-driven climate change is the main reason behind the exceptional intensity of the record-breaking heatwave affecting Europe, saying such extreme June temperatures would have been virtually impossible without global warming. Europe, now the world's fastest-warming continent, continues to experience unusually high temperatures that have shattered records in several countries.

A new scientific analysis found that a similar heatwave would have been around 3.5 degrees Celsius cooler during the day if it had occurred in June 1976. Researchers also said the planet has already warmed by about 1.4 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels because of the continued burning of coal, oil and ...