Western Europe sets new temperature record as heat waves pummel the region

The scorching heatwaves sweeping across Western Europe this summer have shattered an average temperature record for the June-July period, according to the European climate agency Copernicus. The intense heatwave, which began in May, has triggered devastating wildfires, prolonged drought, and set new national temperature records throughout the region, as well as causing an estimated 1,300 excess deaths due to heat-related illnesses.

While 2026 still has time to catch up, climate statistics indicate that this year is currently the third-hottest globally, trailing behind 2024 and 2025. The combination of accelerated human-induced global warming and a powerful El Niño, a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that affects temperature patterns worldwide, heightens the likelihood that 2026 could surpass 2024 as the hottest year on record, or at least come extremely close.