Western Europe records hottest June on record amid heatwave

Western Europe has recorded its hottest June on record, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, as the region endures a third major heatwave and wildfires rage across France and Spain. The agency reported that surface air temperatures across western Europe averaged 3.06 degrees Celsius above the recent historical average for the month. Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record, while ocean temperatures reached unprecedented highs.

These conditions have fueled a series of dangerous and disruptive events. A firefighter died while battling a blaze in the French Alps, according to the French interior ministry. Wildfires have burned far more land than average this season, with France seeing four times the typical burned area and Spain seeing double, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. Barcelona set a new heat record of 40.5 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, July 8. In the United Kingdom, the Met Office warned of an extreme marine heatwave and forecast a prolonged period of high temperatures on land.

Scientists link the intensity and frequency of these heatwaves directly to climate change. Samantha Burgess, deputy director...