Aschbacher says Europe's Copernicus Earth observation team has measured extreme temperatures

Aschbacher said ESA's Copernicus Sentinel 3 satellite series had measured extreme land surface temperatures of more than 45 degree Celsius in Britain, 50 degree Celsius in France and 60 degree Celsius in Spain in recent weeks.

He said that it's the whole ecosystem that is changing very, very fast and much faster than what scientists expected to do until a few years ago.

It is a combination of drought, fires, intensity of storms, and everything that is seen as the visible signs of climate change. Winds become stronger and the storms become harsher as changes in temperature become more marked.

Aschbacher said that typhoons are much more powerful than they used to be in terms of wind speed and damage.

A former Austrian scientist was named head of Paris-based ESA last year after leading the 22-n nation agency's Earth observation work including Copernicus, which ESA says is the world's largest environmental monitoring effort, co-led by the European Union.

The programme's six families of Sentinel satellites aim to read the planet's vital signs from carbon dioxide to wave height or temperatures of land and oceans.

Copernicus Sentinel 2 satellite images taken on the same day in June between 2020 and 2022, released by ESA, show how the drought-stricken Po whose plains sustain a third of Italy's agriculture has retreated to expose broad sandbanks.

The funding gap between Britain and the EU will be filled with 750 million Euros US $774 million needed to develop a second generation of satellites. Its fate is currently being discussed, and the programme faces a funding gap of 750 million euros.

After leaving the EU last year, Britain remains a member of the ESA and its 170 million-euro direct contribution is unaffected.

Aschbacher said that we still need the 750 million to complete the development of this second generation of satellites.

That is certainly an issue for climate monitoring globally, but also for Europe in particular, because many of these parameters are aimed at priorities for Europe. A funding package for Earth observation worth an estimated 3 billion euros will be discussed in November by the ESA ministers.

Aschbacher dismissed two myths that were voiced by critics who question the international climate drive.

He said that the first is that people think one can wait and that by waiting we will tough it out. He said that if you don't listen to warnings like this year's weather crisis could cost hundreds of trillions of dollars this century, you're wrong to think it will cost a lot of money to deal with climate change and affect the poorest people.

You always have weather fluctuations but never of this magnitude. Aschbacher told Reuters that there was no doubt in my mind that this is caused by climate change.