Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Western Europe, has shrunk by two metres over the past two years, reaching its lowest level in precise measurements recorded over 22 years. This reduction is attributed to a warm summer that has led to a decrease in the snow cover, as reported by Reuters

A team of topographers, who regularly measure Mont Blanc's height every two years, announced during a press conference in Chamonix, the French Alps, that the mountain's current height is 4805.59 metres. This is 2.22 metres lower than the measurements taken in September 2021 (4807.81 metres).

Sesil Taffin, a member of the UNGE geodetic union, noted that Mont Blanc's summit resembles a dune and constantly changes its position, with fluctuations in height exceeding two metres not being a new occurrence.

The lower summit level this year is likely due to the absence of rainfall and the hot summer. Starting from September 2001, when precise satellite measurements of the peak began, Mont Blanc's height was recorded at 4010.40 metres.

Between 2001 and 2013, the mountain's height varied from 4808 to 4810 metres, with record heights of 4810.90 metres in 2007 and 4810.02 metres in 2013. However, since then, there has been a trend of decreasing height.

Mont Blanc's rocky summit reaches an elevation of 4792 metres, but its overall height depends on the snow cover, which typically increases during the summer as rain at the summit turns into snow.

For the first time since 2015, the snow cover of Mont Blanc in September remained practically unchanged compared to June. This is a result of several days of hot temperatures, with record highs of 10 degrees Celsius.

Topographers emphasised that it's climate change experts, not them, who should interpret these findings and develop theories to explain this phenomenon. It's worth noting that prior to precise satellite navigation with its centimetre-level accuracy, scientists used GPS, trigonometric estimates, and barometric measurements, which could have deviations of several metres."