June 2026 was the hottest June on record for Western Europe and the second warmest June globally. This is stated in a new report by the European climate service Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

According to scientists, the second half of the month was marked by a record-breaking heatwave that affected most of Western and Central Europe. In a number of countries, both June and all-time temperature records were broken, and the extreme heat led to an increase in heat-related deaths.

One of the causes of the abnormal heat was record-high ocean surface temperatures. The average global sea surface temperature in June reached 20.86°C — the highest level for this month in the entire history of observations, slightly surpassing the previous record set in June 2024.

The western part of the Mediterranean Sea and the coastal areas of the Atlantic warmed especially strongly. Scientists also note the strengthening of El Niño in the equatorial Pacific, which contributes to rising global temperatures.

On average, air temperatures in Western Europe were 3.06°C above the 1991–2020 climate norm, and across Europe as a whole they were 1.78°C above normal.

In addition to the heat, much of Europe faced drought. A lack of precipitation and dried-out soils increased the risk of wildfires, especially on the Iberian Peninsula and in southern France, and also intensified the threat of drought in the eastern regions of the continent.

According to Copernicus specialists, the series of heatwaves that began in May, continued in June, and intensified again in early July indicates that extreme temperature events are becoming increasingly frequent and intense against the backdrop of climate change.