Western Europe logs hottest June-July on record, EU monitor says

Western and Central Europe sweltered through the hottest June-July on record, as climate change exacerbated a relentless summer of heatwaves, drought, and wildfires, according to the EU's global warming monitor. Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, recorded an average temperature of 21.62°C during the two-month period, surpassing the 2022 record.

The lack of soil moisture and the persistence of heat have strengthened the relationship between heat and drought, according to Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Across the affected nations, including France, Spain, Austria, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and parts of Iceland, rivers flowed at unusually low levels, impacting transport, irrigation, and energy production. The heat and dry conditions created ideal environments for wildfires, with France and Spain facing their worst infernos in recent memory.

The situation was further exacerbated by record-high ocean temperatures, which reached their second consecutive monthly peak in July. The developing El Nino in the Pacific is likely contributing to the record sea surface temperatures, which could have far-reaching impacts on weather patterns globally.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service expects another record global average temperature later this year or early 2027, with the last 11 years ranking as the hottest on record. The primary driver of this warming is attributed to greenhouse gas emissions, which oceans absorb, playing a crucial role in regulating the climate. The resulting hotter seas can lead to more intense storms, rainfall, and coral reef bleaching.