Western Europe records warmest June-July on record as ocean temperatures hit new highs

Record heat in Western Europe

Western Europe experienced its warmest June-July period on record, with an average temperature of 21.62°C across the region, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service announced from Bonn. The figure was 2.79°C above the long-term June average for the 1991-2020 reference period. The Copernicus-defined Western Europe region includes Switzerland and Germany. Data used by the service extends back to 1950, with some earlier records available.

Copernicus noted a pronounced temperature gradient from Western to Eastern Europe and Scandinavia, where conditions were substantially cooler. For Germany specifically, the southwest was noticeably warmer than the northeast.

Four heat waves since May

Since May, Western Europe has seen four heat waves, which Copernicus described as an exceptional amount for the region. The prolonged heat since late spring has been accompanied by persistent drought across many parts of Europe. Parts of the Iberian Peninsula, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Great Britain were drier than average in July, continuing a pattern that began in May and intensified through June.

Soil surface moisture in Western Europe in July was significantly lower than during the last drought July in 2022. River levels in the affected regions fell well below long-term averages, with locally exceptionally low values recorded on the Seine, the Rhine, and the Danube.

Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at Copernicus, explained the feedback loop between heat and drought.

When soils dry out, they lose their ability to naturally provide cooling, so that heat can build up even more easily. This is a clear example of how climate change amplifies heat extremes: heat and drought increasingly reinforce each other.

Global and European context

For Europe as a whole, July was only the 11th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.49°C. Globally, July was the second warmest on record, tied with 2024 at approximately 16.90°C. The record holder remains July 2023 at 16.95°C. Last month was 1.47°C above the pre-industrial July level.

Record ocean temperatures and marine heat waves

The world's oceans also reached record levels. Sea surface temperature in July was the highest ever recorded for the month, at 20.96°C, surpassing the previous record of 20.89°C set in July 2023. The measurements cover oceans outside the polar regions.

Copernicus pointed to currently high temperatures in the equatorial Pacific associated with the beginning of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which is expected to strengthen in the coming months. Along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean, water temperatures reached record values accompanied by strong marine heat waves.

The Copernicus service, operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), regularly publishes data on surface temperature, sea ice cover, and precipitation. Its findings are based on computer-generated analyses incorporating billions of measurements from satellites, ships, aircraft, and weather stations worldwide. Der Standard noted that high air temperatures in recent weeks also fueled forest fires.