Western Europe logs hottest June on record: EU's climate service

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record in 2026, while global temperatures ranked as the second-highest ever recorded for the month, according to a Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) statement on Thursday.

The EU’s climate monitoring service said the heat was driven by persistent warming across land and oceans, with sea surface temperatures reaching their highest for any June in recorded data.

June recorded a global average surface air temperature of 16.54 °C (61.7 °F).

The service said the average sea surface temperature in extra-polar oceans between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north reached a record 20.86 °C.

It noted that exceptionally high ocean temperatures continued across large parts of the tropical Pacific as El Nino conditions developed and were expected to strengthen in the coming months.

A severe heat wave affected much of western and central Europe during the second half of June, breaking monthly and all-time temperature records in several countries.

Western Europe recorded an average temperature of 20.74 °C -- the warmest June on record for the region.

Across Europe as a whole, the average land temperature reached 19.14 °C, the second-highest June on record.

The heat wave came weeks after another intense heat event in May and was followed by extreme heat in early July, highlighting the increasing frequency and intensity of heat extremes, according to C3S.

"June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

Alongside extreme heat, much of western continental Europe experienced drier-than-average conditions in June.

C3S said persistent high pressure and heat wave conditions contributed to drought risks in parts of eastern Europe and increased wildfire activity, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.

Dry soils across western and central Europe, which had already developed during May's heat wave, further worsened drought conditions.

Arctic sea ice extent in June was around 5% below average, ranking as the sixth-lowest recorded for the month.

The largest declines were observed in the northern Barents Sea, particularly around Svalbard and Franz Josef Land.

In Antarctica, sea ice extent was around 8% below average, also ranking sixth-lowest for June.