Western Europe has endured its hottest combined June and July on record, as relentless heat, drought and wildfires intensify across the region. The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service recorded an average temperature of 21.62C across western Europe for the two months, beating the previous record set in 2022. Scientists warned the prolonged heat is a stark sign of how climate change is reshaping European summers. Heat and Drought Fuel a Dangerous Cycle Successive heatwaves have left soils severely depleted of moisture across western and central Europe. France, Spain, Austria and Hungary were among the worst affected, while the UK, Ireland and parts of Iceland also experienced exceptionally dry conditions. River levels have plunged, with the Seine, Rhine and Danube particularly affected. The consequences are already being felt through disruption to transport, irrigation and energy production. Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said the summer showed how climate change was intensifying extreme heat, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing each other. Wildfires Threaten a Continent Under Pressure The tinder-dry conditions have created ideal conditions for fires. France and Spain have faced some of their most severe wildfires in living memory, while serious blazes have also struck elsewhere in Europe, as well as the north-western US and Canada. Scientists say the frequency of weather conditions that favour extreme fires is increasing as the planet warms. Oceans Smash Another Record The warning signs extend far beyond Europe. Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high for July for the second consecutive year, averaging 20.96C and surpassing the previous record from 2023. Copernicus said marine heatwaves around Europe and a powerful El Niño developing in the Pacific are contributing to the extraordinary warmth. A Bigger Global Heat Record Looms The developing El Niño could push global temperatures even higher later this year or in early 2027. The phenomenon typically peaks towards the end of the year before releasing stored ocean heat into the atmosphere. Last month was globally the joint second-hottest July on record, at 1.47C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average. Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus, warned that the last 11 years have been the hottest ever recorded — with greenhouse gases remaining the main driver of the warming. Western Europe lived through hottest June and July ever recorded
