Now Reading: Western Europe hits record June-July heat, Copernicus says
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Western Europe hits record June-July heat, Copernicus says
Western Europe set a new average temperature record for the June-July period, hitting 21.62°C, according to the Copernicus climate agency. The extreme heat, which began in May, has fuelled major wildfires, prolonged…
The Story in Brief
Western Europe set a new average temperature record for the June-July period, hitting 21.62°C, according to the Copernicus climate agency. The extreme heat, which began in May, has fuelled major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records, along with thousands of projected heat-related deaths. Globally, 2026 is so far the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025.
Scientists say the combination of human-caused global warming and a developing El Niño could make 2026 the hottest year on record. Last month also saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across extra-polar oceans, at 20.96°C. Copernicus reported that the average global surface air temperature for July was 16.90°C, tying with July 2024 as the joint second warmest July.
The Indian Opinion
Every heat wave is now branded a 'climate change' story, but the link between warming and this specific high-pressure system needs scrutiny. The real test is whether the coming El Niño proves as strong as forecasters predict. If 2026 ends up beating 2024's global record, then the one-two punch narrative will hold. If not, alarmists will have to explain why the third-hottest year still brought such regional extremes.
Sources (2): deccanchronicle.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
