June and July hottest on record in Western Europe, monitor says

Western Europe has experienced its hottest June and July on record this summer, according to the European Union’s climate change monitor.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Monday that the region’s average temperature over the two-month period was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.9 degrees Fahrenheit), 2.79C (5.01F) above average and higher than the previous record set in 2022.

This reflected “the exceptional persistence of heat” so far this summer, C3S said.

The climate change monitor also said levels of soil moisture were “significantly lower” than in July 2022 when the last severe drought gripped Western Europe.

“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, 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.”

Several rivers experienced exceptionally low water levels, including the Seine, Rhine and Danube. The low flows affected water supplies and irrigation and led Hungary and Slovenia to operate their only nuclear power plants at reduced capacity.

France and Spain also registered record levels of drought, which fuelled devastating wildfires.

A megafire burned nearly 42,000 hectares (103,785 acres) and forced the evacuation of more than 220,000 people in southwestern France’s Gironde department in late July.

At the same time, Spain’s largest wildfire in recent history scorched almost 44,000 hectares (108,725 acres) in Avila province near Madrid.

The report also warned that large fires can send smoke high into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel thousands of kilometres and affect air quality in other countries.

The C3S also said the highest sea surface temperatures on record outside the polar regions were recorded in July. The average sea surface temperature was 20.96C (69.7F), slightly higher than the previous record of 20.89C (69.6F) in 2023.