Heat waves across Western Europe this summer have surpassed the average temperature record for the June-July period set in the previous year, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.
The extreme temperatures began in May and have resulted in significant wildfires, prolonged droughts, and new national temperature records. Thousands of heat-related deaths are projected across the region.
Globally, this is the third hottest year to date, trailing behind 2024 and 2025, based on climate statistics. However, 2026 still has the potential to catch up. Influenced by human-caused global warming and a strong El Niño, which is the periodic warming of parts of the Pacific leading to global temperature variations, there is a growing likelihood that 2026 could become the hottest year on record by the year’s end.
Last month witnessed the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, which are oceans devoid of seasonal sea ice, Copernicus reported. Developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific contributed to this trend. The new average record for July is 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F).
On a global scale, last month’s average surface air temperature was 16.90°C (62.42°F), marking it as the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024, Copernicus noted.
In Western Europe, the record average temperature for June-July reached 21.62°C (70.92°F), Copernicus stated.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, explained, “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.”
These trends highlight how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.
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