Eu's copernicus climate change service: Western Europe has experienced its hottest June and July on record, amidst the third and fourth heat waves since May.

According to Anadolu Agency, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service reported on Monday that Western Europe went through an unprecedented heatwave, marking the hottest June and July ever recorded. The region witnessed its third and fourth heatwaves since May, highlighting an exceptional period of extreme heat during the summer months.

The report detailed that widespread dryness persisted and intensified across much of the region, with France, Spain, parts of Germany, and the UK experiencing low rainfall and reduced soil moisture levels. River flows were noted to be below average, particularly in major rivers like the Seine, Rhine, and Danube.

Samantha Burgess, the strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated that July 2026 marked the third consecutive month of extreme heat in Western Europe, pushing the combined temperature for June and July to a new high for the region. Burgess explained that the widespread drought was exacerbated by the intense heat, as high-pressure systems trapped warmth over the area, and the drying soils lost their natural cooling capacity.

Burgess emphasized that this situation is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing each other. Copernicus further reported that the prolonged hot and dry conditions in Western Europe contributed to the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires in July.

Additionally, the report highlighted that July saw the highest sea surface temperature ever recorded for the month across the extra-polar oceans, influenced partly by developing El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific.