Western Europe just closed the books on its hottest June ever, and scientists say that's not a fluke. Temperatures across the region ran about 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit above recent norms, according to the EU's Copernicus climate service, beating the record set only last year, reports the New York Times. France logged its hottest nationwide day on record—not just for June, but for any month—on three separate days during last month. Parts of England, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland also saw June records fall by wide margins.
Globally, it was the second warmest June on record, with the planet about 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than in the preindustrial era. Samantha Burgess of Copernicus said the figures show a climate system "continuing to accumulate heat," fueling stronger heat waves, continuously warm oceans, and rising risks to people and infrastructure. "June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," Burgess said, per Reuters.
Scientists say human-driven climate change has sharply raised the odds of such extreme June heat, even after Europe's deadly 2003 heat wave, per the Times. In France alone, officials reported roughly 1,000 excess deaths over three scorching days, with researchers estimating that total heat-related deaths for June may have surpassed 2,700. The Weather Channel doesn't have great news for nations across the pond, noting that more heat domes could end up hovering over Europe this summer.
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