Western Europe recorded its hottest June and July since measurements began, with an average temperature of 21.62 degrees Celsius — 2.79 degrees above the long-term mean, breaking the previous 2022 record after a summer of four heatwaves swept the region since May.
Globally, July 2026 was the second-warmest on record at approximately 16.90 degrees, trailing only July 2023, while the average non-polar ocean surface temperature hit an unprecedented 20.96 degrees, surpassing the July 2023 high. Elevated Pacific temperatures were partly driven by the emerging El Niño climate pattern.
The agricultural and human toll deepened: nearly 10,000 heat-related deaths have been recorded in Germany this year, and low water levels plagued the Seine, Rhine and Danube. French dairy farmer Sylvain Bellonte said pasture grass ran out by late May, Légumes de France warned of tens of millions of euros in lost produce, and extreme heat in olive groves is expected to push olive oil prices higher.