Europe is seeing average temperatures rise faster than the other continents, which is fuelling more heatwaves as well as increasing the risk of drought, fires and storms, says a leading German climate researcher.

Experts say Europe's heatwaves this summer have been "exceptional", causing riverbeds across the continent to dry up. Now the flow-on effects are being felt economically.

The consequences of drought and heatwaves this summer could cost the German economy at least 36 billion euros, environmental NGO Greenpeace has said. The organisation added up…