In July 2026, prolonged hot and dry conditions in western Europe led to the spread and intensification of extreme wildfires. Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record, and July saw the third and fourth heatwaves since May, marking an exceptional run of extreme heat this summer.

Globally, the month was the joint second warmest July on record, with an average surface air temperature 1.47°C hotter than the estimated pre-industrial baseline (1850-1900 average).

These conclusions were reported by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

High temperatures

The average temperature for June-July for western Europe was the highest on record, at 21.62°C, or 2.79°C above average, surpassing the previous record from 2022 and reflecting the exceptional persistence of heat since the beginning of summer.

Much of the region also saw the widespread dryness observed in May and June persist and intensify, with exceptionally low rainfall and/or soil moisture reported for France, Spain, parts of Germany and the UK.

Extremely low water levels

Across the dry regions, river flows were much lower than average or exceptionally low, with the Seine, Rhine, and Danube particularly affected, impacting water supply, irrigation and energy production in several countries.

The low flows increased pressure on water supply and irrigation, aquatic ecosystems, river transport and energy production in several countries. Germany even decided to temporarily lift the truck ban on Sundays as extremely low water levels on the Rhine increasingly disrupted freight transport.

Highest sea surface temperatures ever recorded

July also had the highest sea surface temperature (SST) ever recorded for the month across the extra-polar oceans. Around Europe, the record high SSTs along the Atlantic and western Mediterranean were associated with widespread strong or severe marine heatwaves, affecting coastal communities and ecosystems.