Record-Breaking Heat Waves in Western Europe: Summer’s Impact

The heat waves affecting Western Europe this summer have set a new average temperature record for the June-July period, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, as reported by the European climate agency Copernicus. The intense heat began in May, leading to significant wildfires, prolonged droughts, and new national temperature records throughout the region. These conditions have also resulted in thousands of predicted heat-related deaths.

Globally, this year ranks as the third hottest, following 2024 and 2025, according to climate statistics. Nonetheless, there remains potential for 2026 to match or outdo previous records. The combination of rapid human-induced global warming and a strong El Niño, a periodic warming event in the Pacific Ocean that causes global temperature fluctuations, increases the likelihood that 2026 could become the hottest year recorded, possibly surpassing 2024.

In June, an individual sought relief from the sun by resting in the shade of a building in central London, captured in an image by Brook Mitchell / AFP via Getty Images.

Last month marked the warmest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across oceans without seasonal sea ice, Copernicus announced. This was partially driven by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific. The new average record for July reached 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the 2023 record of 20.89°C (69.60°F).

However, the average global surface air temperature in July was 16.90°C (62.42°F), ranking as the joint second warmest July on record, tied with July 2024, according to Copernicus.

In Western Europe, the average temperature record for June-July was 21.62°C (70.92°F), reported by Copernicus. “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,” stated Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. “This clearly illustrates how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing each other.”