The heatwaves roiling Western Europe this summer have broken an average temperature record for the June-July period set in 2022, according to the European climate agency Copernicus
The extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records across the region, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.
This is the third-hottest year globally, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up.
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Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, Copernicus said.
That was partially fuelled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the service said. The new average record for July is 20.96C, which beat the 2023 record of 20.89C.
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In Western Europe, meanwhile, the average temperature record for the June-July period hit 21.62C, Copernicus said.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts: “Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought.
“As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, 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.”
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