The first two months of summer in western Europe have been the hottest on record, the European Union’s climate monitor said Monday, as the continent grapples with devastating wildfires and braces for yet another heatwave.
The average temperature for June and July was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.9 Fahrenheit), about 2.79 degrees above the average, and surpassing the previous heat record set in 2022, said the Copernicus climate change service.
July was also the hottest month ever logged for the world’s non-polar oceans, Copernicus said, with record high temperatures set along the Atlantic and western Mediterranean, putting sea life and coastal communities at risk. The conditions were partly fueled by the so-called “Super” El Niño weather pattern developing in the pacific.
The continent has been hit by a string of deadly heatwaves, with more hot temperatures forecast for this week. Heat has killed more than 25,000 people across Europe this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent but is particularly ill-equipped to withstand heat, due to older infrastructure and a lack of air conditioning.
