Western Europe experienced hottest June-July on record: EU monitor

Western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period on record, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said Monday, as climate change drove a summer of intense heat, drought and wildfires across the region. The combined average temperature reached 21.62 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.

Why was western Europe's June-July so hot?

Copernicus said the record temperatures reflected the exceptional persistence of heat through the summer. Soil moisture levels were significantly lower than in July 2022, when western Europe last faced a severe drought. Samantha Burgess of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said heat and drought are increasingly reinforcing each other as climate change intensifies extremes.

Which countries were hit hardest by the drought?

Very dry conditions spread across western and central Europe in July, affecting France, Spain, Austria and Hungary. The United Kingdom, Ireland and part of Iceland also experienced unusually dry weather. River flows dropped sharply, with the Seine, Rhine and Danube among the most affected waterways.

The low water levels disrupted transport, irrigation and energy production in several European countries. These hot, dry conditions created ideal fire weather, and scientists say extreme fire-prone conditions are becoming more frequent as the climate warms. France and Spain battled their worst wildfires in living memory this summer, while parts of the US northwest and Canada also faced serious blazes.

Did ocean temperatures also break records?

Copernicus also reported that global ocean surface temperatures hit a record high in July for the second consecutive month. Average sea surface temperatures reached 20.96 degrees Celsius, beating the previous record set in 2023. Marine heatwaves around Europe and a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific both contributed to the rise.

Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said parts of the Mediterranean and Atlantic were unusually warm, but the developing El Niño was likely the main driver of record sea temperatures. He described it as a very large El Niño, possibly unprecedented in amplitude, during a briefing on August 5. Buontempo said the contribution from the tropical Pacific had become increasingly significant.

What is El Niño and how does it affect global temperatures?

El Niño is the warm phase of a natural climate cycle that raises ocean temperatures in the tropical Pacific. It can intensify weather extremes such as drought and floods worldwide, adding further heat to a planet already warmed by fossil fuel emissions. El Niño events typically peak at year's end, releasing stored ocean heat into the atmosphere in the following months.

The last El Niño contributed to 2023 and 2024 becoming the second- and first-hottest years on record, respectively. Buontempo said scientists now expect a new global temperature record to be set later this year or in early 2027.

How does this summer compare to past records globally?

Globally, last month ranked as the joint second-warmest July on record, with average surface air temperatures 1.47 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial benchmark from 1850 to 1900. Copernicus said the last 11 years have been the hottest on record, and the world has not experienced such warmth in living memory or possibly in the history of human civilization.

Buontempo attributed the warming primarily to greenhouse gas emissions. Oceans absorb most of the excess heat generated by human carbon emissions, giving them a central role in regulating the climate. Warmer seas can fuel stronger storms and heavier rainfall, and they contribute to coral reef bleaching.

Copernicus compiles its data from billions of satellite and weather station readings on land and at sea, with records extending back to 1940.