A hellish month: June 2026 was the hottest on record in Western Europe and the second‑hottest globally

Brussels – June 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in Western Europe, at +3.05°C above average, and the second hottest globally, at around +1.39°C compared with pre-industrial levels, according to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These record temperatures confirmed a well-established trend: the climate system continued to accumulate heat, leading to increasingly intense heatwaves, exceptionally warm oceans, and growing impacts on people, ecosystems, and infrastructure.

Globally, the average surface temperature was 16.54 °C, 0.56 °C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.39 °C above the estimated pre-industrial average (1850–1900), making it the second-warmest on record, after June 2024. In Europe, June was the second-warmest on record, with an average temperature of 19.14 °C, 1.78 °C above the climate norm. The figures for Western Europe were even more exceptional, with the average temperature reaching 20.74 °C, a full 3.05 °C above the 1991–2020 average and surpassing the previous record set as recently as 2025. 

The second half of the month was characterised by a severe heatwave that affected much of western and central Europe, with new daily maximum temperature records being set in several countries, and in some cases even all-time records. This came just a few weeks after the severe heatwave in May and was followed by another extreme event as early as the first few days of July, highlighting an ever-increasing frequency of exceptional conditions. 

The oceans have also reached record levels. The average surface temperature of the extrapolar oceans, between 60° south and north latitudes, reached 20.86 °C, the highest ever for June, exceeding the previous record set in 2024 by just 0.01 °C. The western Mediterranean and the European Atlantic coasts were affected by widespread marine heatwaves, while in the equatorial Pacific, the gradual strengthening of El Niño conditions helped to keep ocean temperatures at exceptionally high levels.

The extreme heat was accompanied by a marked lack of rainfall. Much of Western Europe, Italy, large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and the southern UK experienced drier-than-average conditions. The combination of high temperatures and soils already depleted by the May heatwave exacerbated the risk of drought and fuelled numerous forest fires, particularly on the Iberian Peninsula and in southern France. The flow of many rivers was also below average across vast areas of the continent.

In contrast, Iceland, Ireland, much of the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and some parts of Greece experienced above-average rainfall, with episodes of heavy rain causing localised flooding. All this while, polar ice continues to show signs of strain. In the Arctic, the average sea ice extent was around 5 per cent below average, making it the sixth-lowest on record for the month of June, while in Antarctica, the deficit reached 8 per cent, also the sixth-lowest on record.

“June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing,” said Samantha Burgess, the ECMWF’s climate strategy lead. “Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean. Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat. The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure.” This message confirms that the extreme events observed in recent years are no longer exceptions but a new climate reality.