DW.com– Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July on record, according to data released Monday by the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The average temperature across the region for the two-month period reached 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.92 Fahrenheit), breaking the previous record set in 2022.
Copernicus said the figure reflected the “exceptional persistence of heat” in western Europe, where four heatwaves have occurred since May.
The extreme temperatures have contributed to prolonged drought, major wildfires and new national temperature records across the region, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.
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Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, though temperatures varied considerably, with eastern Europe and Scandinavia experiencing much cooler conditions. For Europe as a whole, July was only the 11th warmest on record, with an average temperature of 20.49 degrees Celsius (68.88 Fahrenheit).
How are heat and drought affecting Western Europe?
Conditions were drier than average across large parts of Europe in July, including Spain and other areas of the Iberian Peninsula, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Ireland and parts of Iceland also experienced unusually dry conditions. Soil moisture in western Europe was significantly lower than in July 2022, when the region last experienced a severe drought.
River flows were also unusually low, with the Seine, Rhine and Danube among the hardest-hit waterways.
Patrick Große
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