BRUSSELS, August 12. /Dunyo IA/. Average temperatures in Western Europe in June and July reached a record 21.62 degrees Celsius, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing a press-release from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The previous record was set in 2022. Copernicus noted an unusually prolonged heat spell, with four heatwaves occurring in the region since May.

The heat contributed to prolonged drought, major wildfires and new temperature records. Dry conditions were recorded in Spain, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and the United Kingdom, as well as in Ireland and parts of Iceland.

Soils in Western Europe were significantly drier than in July 2022. As soils dry out, their ability to naturally cool the surface decreases, contributing to further heat buildup.

Water levels in major rivers, including the Seine, Rhine and Danube, were also unusually low. This disrupted shipping, irrigation and energy production in several countries.

The hot and dry conditions increased the risk of wildfires, with particularly severe fires reported in France and Spain.

Copernicus also recorded a record-high ocean surface temperature in July. The average temperature outside the polar regions reached 20.96 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous July record of 20.89 degrees set in 2023.

July 2026 was the second-hottest July on record, tied with July 2024. The average global surface air temperature was 16.90 degrees Celsius, 1.47 degrees above the pre-industrial level.

In the first seven months of 2026, the year ranked as the third-hottest on record, behind 2024 and 2025. Scientists expect the strengthening El Niño phenomenon to contribute to further increases in global temperatures in the second half of the year.

Copernicus does not rule out a new global temperature record being set by the end of 2026 or early 2027. According to the service, the past 11 years have been the hottest on record.

European scientists attribute long-term warming primarily to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases. Oceans absorb most of the excess heat, but rising water temperatures contribute to heavier rainfall and stronger storms and damage marine ecosystems.

Photo credit: AFP