BONN, 10th August, 2026 (WAM) -- Western Europe recorded its hottest June-July period on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Monday.
The figure surpassed the previous record for the same two-month period, set in 2022.
Copernicus said Western Europe has experienced exceptionally prolonged heatwave conditions since late spring, with four unusual heatwaves recorded since May.
Across Europe as a whole, July ranked as the 11th warmest July on record, with an average temperature of 20.49°C.
Globally, July was the joint second-warmest July on record, alongside July 2024, with an average surface air temperature of around 16.90°C. It was 1.47°C above the estimated 1850-1900 pre-industrial average for July.
As in June and parts of May, July was drier than average across many parts of Europe, particularly the Iberian Peninsula, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Surface soil moisture in Western Europe during July was significantly lower than in July 2022, when the region experienced its previous severe drought.
Copernicus said river flows were well below long-term averages across large parts of the drought-affected areas, with the Seine, Rhine and Danube among the rivers particularly affected.
The world's oceans also reached record temperatures. The average global sea-surface temperature outside the polar regions reached 20.96°C in July, the highest recorded for the month, surpassing the previous July record of 20.89°C set in 2023.
Copernicus also pointed to unusually high temperatures in the tropical Pacific associated with El Niño, which is expected to strengthen in the coming months.
Along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean, sea temperatures reached record levels, accompanied by severe marine heatwaves.