Western Europe experienced its hottest June since records began in 2026, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month brought extreme heat, widespread disruption and thousands of excess deaths across parts of the continent.
The EU climate monitoring service said the average temperature in Western Europe in June 2026 was 20.74°C (69.3°F), more than 3°C above the 1991–2020 average for the month.
The extreme heatwave at the end of June shattered temperature records, disrupted power supplies and forced school closures in several countries.
Copernicus defines Western Europe as stretching from Spain and the United Kingdom eastwards to include Italy, Germany and part of Austria.
The region has endured three intense heatwaves in as many months, with countries including Spain and Portugal experiencing another spell of extreme heat 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.”
The Copernicus bulletin also found that June 2026 was the world's second-warmest June on record, while global sea surface temperatures reached their highest June levels on record.
The findings highlight the broader global trend of rising temperatures, driven primarily by greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the planet's average temperature is now around 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels recorded in the 19th century.
The June heatwave had serious consequences across the continent. National authorities reported more than 4,700 excess deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during the heatwave.
The extreme temperatures also:
Joeri Rogelj of Imperial College London said the link between global warming and heatwaves was clear.
“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,” Rogelj said.
A scientific study conducted after the event found that climate change played a clear role in intensifying Europe's June heatwave. Researchers said that while El Niño contributed to unusually high global sea surface temperatures, it did not drive Europe's heatwave.
Copernicus records date back to 1940 and are cross-checked against global temperature records extending to 1850.
The latest findings add to growing evidence that climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, with significant implications for public health, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond.
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