In June 2026, Western Europe faced the highest temperatures ever recorded in any month on the European continent, owing to persistent heat waves that caused temperatures to shoot past the averages and led to rising risks of drought and wildfires.

Temperatures across Western Europe averaged at 20.74°C in June 2026, 3.05°C above the long-term average for the period 1991–2020, thus making it warmer than even the previous record for June, which was recorded in 2025. Such results make this June one of the major heat events witnessed by Western Europe.

As per the report, not only did extreme heat occur on land, but also in the surrounding oceans. The marine heatwaves occurred in the waters of the western Mediterranean and also on parts of the Atlantic coast. At the same time, increased incidents of wildfires occurred in the Iberian Peninsula and south-eastern France. Drought was also becoming a concern in Eastern Europe.

According to C3S, such heatwaves were preceded by unusually dry soils recorded in May.

Around the world, June 2026 proved to be the second-hottest June ever recorded, after June 2024. The global average surface air temperature amounted to 16.54°C, being 1.39°C higher than the pre-industrial level.

Sea-surface temperatures continued to be extremely high. The global average amounted to 20.86°C, which is the highest June figure so far. It is worth mentioning that scientists reported unusual warming of large areas of the Pacific Ocean amid the progressing El Niño.

According to Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF, the record figures can be viewed as an indicator of the accumulation of additional heat in the Earth's climate system.

Specifically, Ms Burgess noted that record warmth in June had been observed in Western Europe and the world's oceans continued to warm up, leading to increasingly severe heatwaves and increased risks to people and ecosystems.

Moreover, the new report mentioned further decreases in polar sea ice. In June, the area of Arctic sea ice was 5% lower than the long-term average, making June 2026 the sixth-lowest June since the beginning of satellite measurements. The most significant reductions were observed in the northern Barents Sea and the areas surrounding Svalbard and Franz Josef Land.

In Antarctica, sea ice extent was approximately 8% below average, also ranking as the sixth-lowest June on record for the southern hemisphere.

The latest findings add to a series of recent climate assessments showing rising temperatures across land and oceans, with scientists warning that prolonged heat and reduced soil moisture are increasing the likelihood of droughts, wildfires and other climate-related hazards in many parts of Europe.