Western Europe Sets New June-July Heat Record, Copernicus Confirms

The heat waves roiling Western Europe this summer toppled an average temperature record for the June-July period set in 2022, according to the European climate agency Copernicus, the Associated Press reported on August 10. 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.

The Numbers

Western Europe's average temperature for the June-July period hit 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.92 degrees Fahrenheit). Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans — the oceans free of seasonal sea ice — at 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), beating the 2023 record of 20.89 degrees Celsius. July's global average surface air temperature of 16.90 degrees Celsius (62.42 degrees Fahrenheit) made it the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024.

Warming Plus El Nino

Globally, 2026 is so far the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. Thanks to the combination of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino, scientists say there is an increasing chance that by the end of the year 2026 could become the hottest year on record, beating out 2024 — or at least come close.

Heat and Drought Reinforce Each Other

Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, and the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought, said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. 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.