Record-Breaking June Heat Hits Western Europe
June 2026 was the hottest on record in Western Europe, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Temperatures in the region were 3.06°C above the average of recent decades.
Western Europe experienced a record-breaking heatwave in June 2026, intensified by carbon emissions. Data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service shows that surface air temperatures in the region were 3.06°C higher than the average of recent decades.
Globally, June 2026 was 0.56°C warmer than the 1991–2020 average and 1.39°C above pre-industrial levels, making it the second warmest June on record. Ocean temperatures reached unprecedented levels.
Samantha Burgess, a climate scientist at Copernicus, stated that these records indicate a continued accumulation of heat in the climate system, leading to more intense heatwaves, consistently warm oceans, and increasing risks for people, ecosystems, and infrastructure.
Western Europe is facing its third heatwave in six weeks, and widespread drought is fueling wildfires. According to Copernicus, the area burned by wildfires in the EU has increased by 56% compared to normal. In France, 35,400 hectares have been destroyed—four times the seasonal average—while in Spain, 55,128 hectares have burned, double the average.
Over 10,000 people were evacuated near Perpignan in southwestern France due to massive wildfires. In Spain, a wildfire near Barcelona devastated more than 2,000 hectares.
