BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - The temperature record for the first two months of summer in western Europe has been broken, as the continent is reeling under heatwave and devastating wildfires.
The average temperature for June and July was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.9 Fahrenheit), about 2.79 degrees above the average, the European Union's climate monitor said Monday.
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. Much of the region also saw the widespread dryness observed in May and June persist and intensify, with exceptionally low rainfall and/or soil moisture reported for France, Spain, parts of Germany and the UK. Across the dry regions, river flows were much lower than average or exceptionally low, with the Seine, Rhine and Danube particularly affected, impacting water supply, irrigation and energy production in several countries.
'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. 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,' said Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
In July, prolonged hot and dry conditions in western Europe led to the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires. The month also saw the highest sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, partly fueled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported.
July saw exceptionally high temperatures for the month across a large portion of the tropical Pacific, an area experiencing El Niño conditions, which is forecast to further strengthen in the coming months.
Around Europe, record high summer temperatures along the Atlantic and western Mediterranean were linked to widespread strong or severe marine heatwaves, affecting coastal communities and ecosystems, the agency says.
'Last month saw exceptional wildfire activity across western Europe, in terms of the area burnt and emissions. Climate change is increasingly bringing the kinds of hot and dry conditions that favor large, high-intensity wildfires in southern Europe while extending the fire season northwards,' said Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service at ECMWF.
'Larger fires produce more smoke and inject it higher into the atmosphere, meaning it can travel further and impact air quality not only locally, but across the wider region. Countries that experience relatively few wildfires may be increasingly impacted by long range transport of smoke, even if they are thousands of kilometers away,' she added.
Meanwhile, heat health alerts have been upgraded for much of England for the rest of the week, with temperatures forecast to rise as high as 36 degrees Celsius later this week.
More than 25,000 lives were reportedly lost across Europe this year, unable to withstand the grueling heat.
Globally, last month was the joint second warmest July on record, with an average surface air temperature 1.47°C hotter than the estimated pre-industrial baseline.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
