Western Europe sees hottest June-July period on record: EU's climate agency

EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced Monday that Western Europe went through the hottest June and July ever recorded, as the region has seen the third and fourth heat waves since May.

"Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record and July saw the third and fourth heatwaves since May, marking an exceptional run of extreme heat this summer," Copernicus said in a report.

The report found that widespread dryness across much of the region in May and June persisted and intensified, while France, Spain, parts of Germany, and the UK recorded low rainfall and soil moisture levels.

It noted that river flows were also below average, particularly in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers.

"July 2026 was the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in western Europe, bringing the combined temperature for June and July to a new record for the region," said Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Burgess explained how widespread drought was amplified by extreme temperatures, as persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over the region. She noted that 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," Burgess added.

Copernicus also noted that prolonged hot and dry conditions in Western Europe contributed to the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires in July.

"The month also saw the highest sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, partly fuelled by developing El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific," the report further said.