EU climate monitor: Western Europe records hottest June

Brussels (ANTARA) - June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in Western Europe and the second warmest globally, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) in a report released on Thursday (9 July).

The report stated that Western Europe experienced a record-breaking heatwave during the month, with an average temperature of 20.74 degrees Celsius, more than 3 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 average, surpassing the previous record set in June 2025.

According to Copernicus, the heatwave that hit Europe in late June came just weeks after an intense heatwave in May, with another heatwave emerging in early July. The June heatwave broke monthly and all-time temperature records in several European countries and contributed to heat-related deaths, underscoring the increasing frequency and severity of extreme heat events in Europe and around the world.

Globally, June 2026 was recorded as the second warmest June in history, with an average surface air temperature of 16.54 degrees Celsius, 0.56 degrees Celsius above the average for that month in the 1991-2020 period, ranking second only to June 2024.

The global average sea surface temperature between 60 degrees south latitude and 60 degrees north latitude reached 20.86 degrees Celsius in June, the highest figure ever recorded for that month. This figure was 0.01 degrees Celsius higher than the previous June record set in 2024, partly reflecting the development of strong El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), said June 2026 demonstrated the continued accumulation of heat in the climate system.

Record-breaking temperatures in Western Europe and persistently high sea temperatures have exacerbated heatwaves and further warmed the oceans, thereby increasing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure, she said.