Western Europe records hottest June on record, scientists say

Western Europe experienced its warmest June on record, with average temperatures 3.05 degrees Celsius (5.5 degrees Fahrenheit) above recent averages, the EU's Copernicus climate monitoring service reported on Thursday. The region’s June heat surpassed the previous record set in June 2023 and contributed to the planet’s second-warmest June on record, with global temperatures 1.39 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Temperatures in several countries broke records by large margins, including England, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. France recorded its highest temperature for any month on three consecutive days. > "Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat," said Samantha Burgess, a climate scientist with Copernicus. "The result is increasingly intense heat waves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond."

Researchers said the heat wave occurred against a backdrop of rising greenhouse-gas concentrations, which make extreme temperatures more likely. They noted that the probability of such a severe June heat event has increased compared with past decades, even relative to the 2003 heat wave that caused tens of thousands of excess deaths in Europe.