Western Europe's June-July Heat Record Broken Amid Intense Heatwaves

Western Europe has recorded its warmest June-July period ever, according to data from the European climate agency Copernicus. The new regional average temperature of 21.62°C (70.92°F) surpasses the previous record set in 2022, capping a summer of extreme heat that began in May.

The prolonged heat has fueled major wildfires, worsened drought conditions, and led to new national temperature records across the region. Scientists also project thousands of heat-related deaths as a result of the sustained high temperatures.

Globally, 2026 is currently the third-hottest year on record, trailing 2024 and 2025. However, with the combined effects of human-caused global warming and a developing El Niño—a periodic warming of Pacific waters that influences weather worldwide—there is a growing chance that 2026 could rival or surpass 2024 as the hottest year ever recorded.

Copernicus also reported that July saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for the month across extra-polar oceans, reaching 20.96°C (69.73°F). This beat the previous July record set in 2023 and was partly driven by emerging El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific.

Meanwhile, the global average surface air temperature for July was 16.90°C (62.42°F), tying with July 2024 as the joint second-warmest July on record.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, explained that persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe. The extreme temperatures also amplified drought, as dry soils lose their natural cooling capacity, allowing heat to build more readily. "This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," she said.