Western Europe records hottest June and July as heatwaves persist

Western Europe has endured an exceptionally prolonged period of intense heat since late spring, marked by four distinct heatwaves. The region recorded its hottest June and July ever, with the average temperature reaching 21.62 degrees Celsius.

According to the European climate change monitoring program Copernicus, this figure is 2.79 degrees above the 1991-2020 average for June. The data also indicated a temperature gradient, with heat decreasing eastward towards Scandinavia, where conditions were notably cooler.

Across Europe as a whole, July ranked as the 11th hottest month historically, with an average temperature of 20.49 degrees Celsius. On a global scale, the past month was the second hottest July recorded, matching July 2024 at 16.9 degrees Celsius, which is 1.47 degrees above the pre-industrial average for July. The record for the hottest July remains with July 2023, which saw an average temperature of 16.95 degrees Celsius.

The Copernicus data, which extends back to 1950 and in some cases earlier, highlights the severity of the ongoing heat. While Western Europe sweltered, temperatures in eastern parts of the continent and Scandinavia were significantly lower, indicating regional variations in the heat's impact.