Western Europe recorded its highest average temperatures in June and July since record-keeping began, surpassing the previous record in 2022, according to Europe's Copernicus climate change service. Average temperatures across Western Europe during those two months reached 21.62 degrees Celsius, reflecting a sustained heatwave described by the European monitoring agency as extraordinary.
Various regions across the continent faced successive heatwaves, drought, and widespread forest fires. Copernicus reported that soil moisture in July was far lower than during the drought period that affected Western Europe in July 2022, indicating the intensity of this summer's drought.
Samantha Burgess, climate strategy officer at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts that manages the Copernicus service, said a sustained high-pressure system caused heat to become trapped over Western Europe. Rising temperatures exacerbated the drought, while dry soil lost its ability to cool naturally, allowing heat to accumulate more rapidly, she added.
Burgess stated that current conditions clearly demonstrate how climate change intensifies extreme heatwaves, with heat and drought reinforcing each other in an escalating cycle. Parts of France, Spain, Austria, and Hungary, as well as the United Kingdom, Ireland, and parts of Iceland, experienced severe drought conditions during July.
Water levels in numerous rivers dropped to unusual levels, with the Seine, Rhine, and Danube among the most affected. The impact extended to the transport, irrigation, and energy production sectors in several European countries.
Hot and dry conditions coincided with forest fires breaking out across several European countries. Scientists said that weather conditions conducive to fires and their spread are increasing as climate change intensifies.
In Albania, firefighting teams and military personnel, supported by three military helicopters, continued their efforts to control a major fire on Mount Kroia, approximately 38 kilometres north of the capital Tirana, on Sunday. Authorities evacuated residents from the Parabite-Liuban area in Kroia municipality after flames spread towards populated areas, while rough terrain hindered firefighting operations.
Police said they arrested a man suspected of causing the fire after burning dry grass near his home on Saturday. Strong winds caused the fire to escape control and reach Mount Kroia, threatening nearby communities, police said.
In Spain, authorities in the Huelva region in the south of the country evacuated approximately 470 people on Sunday due to a spreading fire, with the affected area reaching about 4,000 hectares as wind direction changed. Antonio Santh, emergency minister of the Andalusia region, said the fire remained complex but showed more positive signs as firefighting operations continued.
More than 500 firefighters, including approximately 60 members of a military emergency unit, participated in the firefighting effort, supported by about 20 aircraft assigned to drop water. Spain has faced a series of forest fires this season that have forced thousands of people to leave their homes, particularly in central areas of the country.
Record highs were not limited to land. The average sea surface temperature in July reached an all-time high for waters outside polar regions, according to Copernicus. The average reached 20.96 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 20.89 degrees recorded in July 2023.
Copernicus said the increase was partly due to the developing El Niño phenomenon conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean, while parts of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean recorded higher-than-normal temperatures. Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus' climate change service, said rising El Niño had been an important factor in the increase in sea surface temperatures.
El Niño refers to the warm phase of a natural climate cycle that produces a temporary increase in water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, and can affect weather patterns in various regions around the world, including droughts and floods. This phenomenon typically peaks towards the end of the year, before heat transfers from the ocean to the atmosphere, which can push global temperatures higher.
El Niño previously contributed to making 2023 the second hottest year since records began, while 2024 recorded the highest average global temperature. Globally, the average surface air temperature in July reached 16.90 degrees Celsius, making it the second hottest July on record, equivalent to July 2024, according to Copernicus.
The global average temperature during the month was 1.47 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, calculated for the period between 1850 and 1900. Copernicus said 2026 to date ranks as the third hottest year, after 2024 and 2025, with several months remaining before year's end.
Buontempo said scientists expect the possibility of new records for global average temperatures in the coming time in this year or early 2027. The oceans absorb the majority of additional heat generated by greenhouse gas emissions, making them a key element in regulating Earth's climate.
However, rising sea temperatures can cause widespread impacts, including increased risk of certain storms and heavy rainfall, in addition to worsening coral bleaching. Buontempo said the last eleven years have been the warmest since records began, indicating that greenhouse gases are the primary factor behind current warming.
The Copernicus service relies on satellite data and atmospheric and ocean monitoring stations, with its climate records covering the period since 1940.
