Western Europe Experiences Record-Breaking Heat Waves

Western Europe recently faced its hottest June on record. Major heat waves broke records across countries like France, Britain, and Spain. The European Union’s climate monitoring service, Copernicus, reported that the average temperatures across the region were 3.05 degrees Celsius above the norm from previous decades.

Copernicus noted this was the second warmest June globally, with temperatures 1.39 degrees Celsius hotter compared to the start of the industrial era. This long heat wave reflects a climate system accumulating heat. Samantha Burgess, a Copernicus climate scientist, highlighted the risks of intense heat waves, persistently warm oceans, and threats to people, ecosystems, and infrastructure.

In June, heat records were shattered in England, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. France recorded its hottest day ever, three times in a row. The atmospheric patterns causing these prolonged heat episodes are not new, but the backdrop of rising average temperatures due to carbon dioxide and heat-trapping gases makes record-breaking heat more likely.

Climate change has significantly increased the probability of such high temperatures in Western Europe. This rise in heat wave likelihood is evident when compared with 2003, which caused over 70,000 excess deaths across Europe.

In France, late June saw 1,000 excess deaths, with 85% being individuals aged 65 or older. Overall, scientists estimate that heat-related deaths in France last month may have reached over 2,700.

Raymond Zhong reports on climate and environmental issues for The Times.