Western Europe endures record heat as Copernicus confirms hottest June and July on record
The Copernicus Climate Change Service reports that persistent high-pressure systems and historically low rainfall have created a feedback loop of extreme heat and drought, impacting nuclear capacity in Hungary and Slovenia and triggering major wildfires in France and Spain.
Western Europe has recorded its hottest June and July on record, with the European Union’s climate change monitor confirming an average temperature of 21.62C for the two-month period. This figure sits 2.79C above the long-term average, surpassing the previous record set in 2022, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The agency attributed the extreme conditions to the exceptional persistence of heat driven by persistent high-pressure systems that trapped warmth over the region.
The intensity of the heat has exacerbated drought conditions to a degree that soil moisture levels are now significantly lower than those recorded during the severe drought of July 2022. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, noted that July 2026 marked the third consecutive month of exceptional heat. She explained that as soils dry out, they lose their natural cooling capacity, allowing heat to build more readily and creating a reinforcing cycle between heat and drought.
This hydrological stress has had tangible impacts on critical infrastructure and water resources. Record-low river levels were observed in major waterways including the Seine, Rhine, and Danube, disrupting water supplies and irrigation. The scarcity of cooling water forced Hungary and Slovenia to reduce the operational capacity of their nuclear power plants. France and Spain also experienced record drought levels, which fuelled devastating wildfires across both nations.
The human and environmental toll of the wildfires was severe. In late July, a megafire in the Gironde department of southwestern France burned nearly 42,000 hectares, forcing the evacuation of more than 220,000 people. Concurrently, Spain recorded its largest wildfire in recent history in Avila province near Madrid, which scorched almost 44,000 hectares. The C3S warned that such large fires can send smoke high into the atmosphere, potentially affecting air quality in countries thousands of kilometres away.
Beyond terrestrial impacts, the heatwave extended to the oceans. The C3S reported that sea surface temperatures outside polar regions reached a new record high in July, averaging 20.96C. This slightly exceeded the previous record of 20.89C set in 2023, underscoring the broad scope of the thermal anomaly affecting the region’s climate systems.
