June 2026 was the hottest June on record in Western Europe. This was reported by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), citing data from the European climate service Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The intense heat affected large parts of Western and Central Europe. It had an impact on people’s health, the natural environment, agriculture, infrastructure and working life.
June was exceptionally warm
According to Copernicus, the average temperature in Western Europe in June was 20.74 degrees. This was around 3.1 degrees higher than the average for the years 1991 to 2020. The previous record had been set just one year earlier, in June 2025.
Europe as a whole also experienced one of the warmest Junes since records began. The average temperature over European land areas was 19.14 degrees. This was 1.78 degrees higher than the average for the years 1991 to 2020. Only June 2019 was even warmer in Europe.
The heatwave was particularly intense in the second half of the month. It affected many regions in Western and Central Europe. In several countries, not only were June records broken, but absolute temperature records were also smashed. More important than individual local records, however, is the overall trend: the heat persisted for a long time, affected large areas and followed on from an already very warm spell in May.
Drought exacerbated the effects of the heat
The heat coincided with widespread drought. According to Copernicus, June was drier than usual in many parts of continental Western Europe, in Italy, across large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and in the south of the UK. In many regions, this was linked to a stable high-pressure system and the heatwave.
The Copernicus European Drought Observatory reported that drought conditions worsened across large parts of Europe in mid-June. At the same time, a heatwave began across much of Central and Western Europe.
All of this led to an increased risk of fires. According to data from the WMO and Copernicus, this was particularly true of the Iberian Peninsula and the south of France. Due to the heat and the lack of moisture in the soil, the risk of forest and vegetation fires rose. In many parts of Europe, river flows were also below average. Among the areas affected were large parts of France, as well as Central and Eastern Europe.
Heat costs lives
The most serious consequences of the heat relate to human health. The WMO points out that extreme heat is often referred to as a ‘silent killer’. Its effects are frequently underestimated or only become apparent after a delay. According to estimates, there were an average of around 489,000 heat-related deaths worldwide each year between 2000 and 2019.
Initial assessments of the June heatwave also point to serious health consequences. The WMO reports severe health impacts, including heat-related deaths. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) published a weekly report on heat-related mortality on 9 July. In it, the RKI estimated the number of heat-related deaths up to calendar week 26/2026 – that is, up to 28 June – at around 5,120. Older people were particularly affected. According to the RKI’s assessment, the largest proportion of these deaths occurred in age groups aged 75 and over. EuroMOMO, the European network for monitoring mortality based in Copenhagen, has now reported that during the heatwave at the end of June, more than 10,000 additional deaths were recorded in Europe – known as ‘excess mortality’ – of which over 9,000 were among people aged 65 and over.
Such figures are estimates and do not represent a definitive tally for the whole of Europe. Heat-related mortality is often calculated only after a delay, as heat is not always directly cited as the cause of death. It frequently exacerbates pre-existing conditions, particularly cardiovascular, lung or kidney diseases.
It is not just hot days that are dangerous, but warm nights too
It is not only high daytime temperatures that are dangerous, but also warm nights. If the temperature remains high for several days and barely drops at night, the body cannot recover sufficiently. This increases the risk of overheating, dehydration, cardiovascular problems and other dangerous health consequences.
Older people, young children, pregnant women, people with chronic conditions, homeless people and those who work outdoors are particularly at risk. However, during prolonged periods of extreme heat, anyone can be affected.
WHO Europe points out that heat has claimed more than 200,000 lives in the European Union and associated countries in the past four years alone. According to the WHO, most of these deaths could have been prevented — through better preparedness, early warning systems, heat action plans and the protection of particularly vulnerable groups.
Europe is warming particularly rapidly
The WMO warns that climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting. Europe is one of the regions of the world warming the fastest. According to the WMO, Europe has warmed by around two degrees overall over the past 50 years. Meteorological services, health authorities and international organisations are therefore calling on countries to prepare better for heat: through warning systems, protection plans for the population, cooler cities, the creation of shelters with air-conditioned rooms for those most affected, and special support for people in at-risk groups.
Further information and sources:
https://wmo.int/media/news/western-europe-has-hottest-june-record
https://wmo.int/media/news/record-breaking-heat-spreads-through-europe
https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-record-heatwave-brings-hottest-june-western-europe-during-second-warmest-june-globally
https://climate.copernicus.eu/surface-air-temperature-june-2026
https://drought.emergency.copernicus.eu/
https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/european-and-global-drought-observatories/current-drought-situation-europe_en
https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/11-06-2026-statement—europe-lost-200-000-people-to-heat-in-4-years-yet-nearly-all-of-them-were-preventable
https://www.rki.de/DE/Aktuelles/Neuigkeiten-und-Presse/Meldungen-PM/Meldungen/2026-07-09_WB-Hitzemortalitaet.html
https://www.euromomo.eu/
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