Western Europe endured the hottest June on record, breaking previous records in France, Britain, and Spain. Average temperatures in the region rose to 3.05 degrees Celsius, or 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit, above the norm from recent decades, as per Copernicus, the European Union’s climate monitoring service. June’s temperatures were the highest recorded, surpassing those of June last year.
Globally, it was the second warmest June ever recorded. The planet’s temperatures were 1.39 degrees Celsius, or 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, higher compared to the start of the industrial era when burning fossil fuels began significantly heating the planet.
“Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat,” said Samantha Burgess, a climate scientist with Copernicus, highlighting the resulting intense heat waves, warm oceans, and growing risks across Europe.
Western Europe’s intense June heat followed a heat wave in May and preceded another rise in temperatures this week. New records were set in parts of England, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. France experienced its hottest temperatures not just for June but for any month, setting records on three consecutive days.
The atmospheric patterns that foster these prolonged heat waves are not new. However, they now occur against a backdrop of rising temperatures due to increased carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels. This backdrop allows temperatures during heat waves to more easily reach record highs.
Scientists analyzing June’s heat in Western Europe found climate change had substantially increased the likelihood of such high temperatures. The probability of such a severe heat wave has risen since 2003, a year when a similar hot spell resulted in more than 70,000 excess deaths across Europe.
In France, health officials reported 1,000 excess deaths during the three extremely hot days in late June, with 85% of those affected being 65 or older. Increases in death rates were noted across all age groups. Estimations suggest over 2,700 heat-related deaths occurred in France last month.
Raymond Zhong covers climate and environmental topics for The Times.