Published on: 2026-07-09
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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July 9, 2026 Climate and Environment
June 2026 was the hottest on record in Western Europe and the second warmest June worldwide. This was reported by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) citing data from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.
According to scientists, the record temperatures were linked not only to the heatwave on land but also to unprecedented warming of the ocean surface. The hot weather continues into July, contributing to the occurrence of large forest fires in France and on the Iberian Peninsula.
Europe is warming faster than other regions
The average air temperature in Western Europe in June was 20.74 degrees Celsius – 3.05 degrees above the 1991–2020 climate norm. This is a new record for June, exceeding the maximum set just a year ago.
“In the context of a changing climate, such heat waves are expected,” said John Kennedy, head of the WMO Climate Information Department.
According to him, Europe has warmed by about two degrees over the past 50 years. “It is the fastest warming continent, and extreme temperatures here are becoming increasingly frequent,” he noted.
Records across the continent
New temperature records were recorded simultaneously in several European countries. In Germany, the temperature reached 41.7 degrees, and historical highs were updated for three days in a row. In France, June 24 became the hottest day in the entire history of observations: the average temperature across the country was 30 degrees, and in certain areas, the air warmed up to 43.8 degrees.
In Spain, temperatures exceeded 40 degrees in several cities, and on July 8th, Barcelona recorded 40.5 degrees — the highest figure in more than a century of observations.
Records were also set in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Drought, fires, and overheated sea
June heat was accompanied by large-scale marine heatwaves in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Atlantic coast of Europe. The surface temperature of the world’s oceans also reached a record level for June.
At the same time, drought intensified in many regions of Europe. Combined with extreme heat, this has led to an increase in the number of wildfires, especially in Spain, Portugal, and southern France, as well as increased the risk of further spread of dry conditions to other parts of the continent.
Health threat
According to Copernicus, June 2026 became the second warmest June on the planet after June 2024. The average global air temperature was 16.54 degrees Celsius – 0.56 degrees above normal.
The WMO reminds that extreme heat causes hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually. Particularly dangerous are the so-called “tropical nights,” when the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees. Under such conditions, the body does not have time to recover from the daytime heat, which significantly increases the load on the cardiovascular system and raises the risk for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses.
The World Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization call on countries to expand early warning systems and population protection plans. Scientists estimate that due to climate change, extreme heat waves will occur more frequently, become longer, and more intense.
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