Western Europe’s Heat Waves Set New Summer Temperature Records

Berlin, AP—The summer of 2026 unleashed intense heat waves across Western Europe, smashing previous average temperature records set in 2022 for the June-July period. The European climate agency Copernicus reported the soaring temperatures contributed to widespread wildfires, prolonged droughts, and established new national temperature records. These conditions also led to projections of thousands of heat-related deaths.

Globally, the year ranks as the third hottest, following closely behind 2024 and 2025. However, data indicates 2026 might end as the hottest year on record, due to a combination of accelerated human-caused global warming and a powerful El Niño. This El Niño, a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific Ocean, causes temperature fluctuations worldwide. The warming trend could see 2026 surpassing 2024 in global heat rankings, according to scientists.

Copernicus noted that last month recorded the highest average sea surface temperature for July in non-polar oceans, driven by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific. The average temperature was 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), exceeding the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F). Despite this, July’s global average surface air temperature was 16.90°C (62.42 F), marking it the second warmest July, tied with July 2024.

In Western Europe, the June-July period’s average temperature hit 21.62°C (70.92 F). Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over the region, exacerbating drought conditions. Dried-out soils lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to intensify more easily. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated, “This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.”