Western Europe records hottest June and July on record

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🗞️ Driving the news: Western Europe has experienced its hottest June and July on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C across the two months, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service
• Four heatwaves since May have contributed to severe drought, wildfires, record temperatures and mounting pressure on Europe’s infrastructure

🔭 The context: July was unusually dry across much of Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and the UK
• Soils across western Europe were significantly drier than during the previous major drought in 2022
• Low river levels on the Seine, Rhine and Danube are disrupting transport, irrigation and energy production
• In Hungary, drought has already affected nuclear power generation by reducing the availability of cooling water
• Global ocean temperatures outside the polar regions reached a record 20.96°C in July, while an increasingly powerful El Niño could amplify global temperatures later this year

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Europe’s experience illustrates how climate change can create cascading pressure across water, energy, agriculture, transport and ecosystems
• As soils dry, they lose their natural cooling capacity, allowing temperatures to rise further and increasing wildfire risk
• Warmer oceans can intensify rainfall and storms while damaging marine ecosystems such as coral reefs

⏭️ What’s next: Scientists expect the strengthening El Niño to push global temperatures even higher later this year or in early 2027
• Copernicus says a new global temperature record could be set during this period

💬 One quote: “We have not seen a climate that warm during our lifetime, and very possibly our civilisation.” - Carlo Buontempo, Director of Copernicus Climate Change Service

📈 One stat: 21.62°C was the average temperature across Western Europe in June and July, the highest for those two months on record

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