2020 Was Europe's Hottest Year On Record: European Union Scientists 2020 Was Europe's Hottest Year On Record: European Union Scientists As world leaders prepared to brandish their plans to fight climate change at a U.S.-led summit on Thursday, EU scientists issued a stark reminder that the impacts of a warmer world are already here. Europe's average annual temperature in 2020 was the highest on record. Brussels: Europe experienced its hottest year on record last year, while the Arctic suffered a summer of extreme wildfires partly due to low snow cover as climate change impacts intensified, the European Union's observation service said on Thursday.