Record-Breaking Summer Heat and Climate Report in Europe
A new report published by the Copernicus climate monitoring service reveals that western Europe experienced its worst summer on record.
According to a report released by the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service, the summer of 2026 was western Europe's worst period on record, marked by extreme heatwaves, severe droughts, and unprecedented wildfires.
Temperature Records
Surface air temperatures between June and August in western Europe were 2.5 degrees above the average of the last decade.
Combined with temperatures across the rest of the continent, this resulted in Europe experiencing its third-hottest summer ever.
Intense Heat Stress
More than half of the population in western Europe was exposed to very strong heat stress, feeling temperatures higher than 38 degrees.
Temperatures exceeding 30 degrees persisted for 17 days across western Europe, resulting in record levels of heat stress.
Early Onset Heat
Summer weather began abnormally early at the end of May with a strong heatwave that surprised climate scientists.
High temperatures continued uninterrupted until September, leading to tens of thousands of deaths across the continent.
Drought and Wildfires
Rivers across the continent saw their lowest summer flow levels in over 30 years, and agricultural crops were damaged.
According to data from the European Forest Fire Information System, 680,000 hectares of land burned by the end of September, causing a major disaster.
Expert Assessments
Samantha Burgess from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts stated that the results impacted water availability and energy systems.
Experts and doctors called on governments to phase out fossil fuel use and green the buildings.