Western Europe hit by record heat in June and July: EU monitor

Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July on record in 2024, with average temperatures soaring by 2.79 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 June average, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service. This remarkable heatwave was not limited to Western Europe, as Eastern Europe and Scandinavia also faced considerably cooler conditions.

The overall European average for July 2024 was 20.49 degrees Celsius, ranking only as the 11th warmest July on record. Globally, July 2024 tied for the joint second-warmest July on record, alongside 2023, at approximately 16.9 degrees Celsius, which was 1.47 degrees above the pre-industrial average for July.

The heatwave conditions in Western Europe have been ongoing since late spring, with four heatwaves recorded since May. This extended period of extreme heat has been exacerbated by drier-than-average conditions, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. Soil surface moisture levels in July were notably lower than during the last drought-affected July in 2022.

The combination of heat and drought has intensified the effects of each other, as warmer soils lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, explained that this demonstrates how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought reinforcing one another.

The impact of the prolonged heatwave was evident in river levels, which were significantly below long-term averages across many affected regions. The Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers, among others, experienced below-average water levels. Copernicus also noted that the world's oceans reached record temperatures, with the global average sea surface temperature in July being the highest ever recorded.

The intense maritime heatwaves along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean were accompanied by record-high water temperatures. The Copernicus Climate Change Service emphasizes the importance of continuous monitoring of surface air temperature, sea ice cover, and precipitation to better understand the complex relationship between climate change and extreme weather events.