Western Europe records hottest June on record, EU scientists say

BRUSSELS - Western Europe just experienced its warmest June on record, EU scientists confirmed on Thursday, after an extreme heatwave at the end of the month smashed temperature records, disrupted power supplies and shut schools.

Last month was also the second-warmest June globally, and the planet experienced the highest June sea surface temperatures since records began, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.

The average temperature in Western Europe last month was 20.74 degrees Celsius (69.3 degrees Fahrenheit), more than 3C above the average for June during 1991-2020, the data showed.

Copernicus defines the region as spreading from Spain and the United Kingdom eastwards as far as Italy, Germany and part of Austria. Western Europe has now suffered three intense heatwaves in as many months, with countries including Spain and Portugal in the grip of another this week.

"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. "The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond.”

National authorities reported more than 4,700 excess deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during the June heatwave — with the total across other countries likely to be higher — while the intense heat also fuel wildfires in Iberia and France and exacerbated drought conditions.

Greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from burning coal, oil and gas, have increased the planet's average temperature to around 1.4‌C ⁠above pre-industrial times in the 19th century, according to the World Meteorological Organization. That higher baseline means temperatures can now hit higher peaks during heatwaves.

"The relationship between heatwaves and global warming is about as straightforward as it gets: on a hotter planet, there will be more heatwaves, and they will become more intense," said Joeri Rogelj, a climate scientist at Imperial College London.

Globally, C3S said other factors were at play in driving sea surface temperatures to a record high for June — including the development of a strong El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

El Niño did not contribute to Europe's June heatwave, while climate change played a clear role in worsening the extreme temperatures, a scientific study after the event found.

C3S's temperature records go back to 1940, and are cross-checked with global temperature records dating back to 1850. — Reuters