Western Europe Sizzles: June and July Hottest on Record
Copernicus confirms four heatwaves since late May drove record average temperatures, while wildfires rage in Albania and Spain.
Copernicus confirms four heatwaves since late May drove record average temperatures, while wildfires rage in Albania and Spain.
Western Europe has just experienced its hottest June and July since records began. The average temperature for this two-month period reached 21.62 degrees Celsius, the European climate change program Copernicus announced on Monday.
That figure is a full 2.79 degrees higher than the average recorded during the reference period from 1991 to 2020. The record temperatures were preceded by an unusually long stretch of heat that began in late spring, marked by four heatwaves that hit the continent since the end of May.
Samantha Burgess, strategic climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, explained the mechanism behind these extremes. "Persistent high-pressure systems have trapped heat over Western Europe; extreme temperatures have also exacerbated widespread drought. As the soil dries out, it loses its ability to cool naturally, allowing heat to accumulate more easily," Burgess told Euronews.
She added that this is a clear example of how climate change amplifies heat extremes. "Heat and drought are increasingly reinforcing each other," she warned.
Copernicus data, which has been collected since 1950, also reveals stark temperature differences across Europe. While the western part of the continent set records, temperatures decreased toward Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, where it was noticeably cooler.
When Europe is viewed as a whole, July was only the 11th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.49 degrees. Globally, last month was the second hottest July ever recorded, tying with July 2024. The global average temperature was 16.9 degrees, which is 1.47 degrees above the pre-industrial average. The absolute record still belongs to July 2023, with an average of 16.95 degrees.
Copernicus also reported a new record for sea surface temperatures. The average July temperature in oceans outside polar regions reached 20.96 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 20.89 degrees set in July 2023.
The extreme heat has created fertile ground for devastating wildfires. In Albania, a large fire on Mount Kruje, about 38 kilometers north of the capital Tirana, continued to spread overnight. Firefighters, helicopters, and the military are battling the blaze, and residents of the Barabit-Lluban area in the Kruje municipality have been evacuated as the fire approached populated areas. Police arrested a man suspected of starting the fire on Saturday by burning dry grass near his home, after which the flames got out of control due to strong winds.
Meanwhile, in Spain's Huelva province in Andalusia, a fire has spread to nearly 4,000 hectares, prompting the evacuation of around 470 local residents on Sunday. Antonio Sanz, the regional emergency minister for Andalusia, described the situation as still complex. "We still have work ahead and a tough day ahead, involving a major intervention, but today we are somewhat more optimistic," Sanz said. More than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze, including 60 members of the Military Emergency Unit, supported by 20 firefighting aircraft.
