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2h ago

Copernicus Confirms Record Sea Temperatures and Western Europe’s Hottest June–July

A strengthening El Niño is likely to amplify global heat this year, raising the odds that 2026 will set new temperature records and worsen droughts, fires and low river flows in Europe.

Ukrainian firefighters work in a wildfire-hit area near Le Temple, Gironde, amongst worsening drought conditions following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France, August 7, 2026. REUTERS/Nicolas Economou
A man walks on dried grass in a park, amid drought conditions in London, in London, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
A hiker walks through an area affected by a forest and vegetation fire that burned several hectares in the commune of Mizerieux, France, on August 7, 2026.

Overview

  • Monday Copernicus data showed July sea surface temperatures reached a record 20.96°C and western Europe’s combined June–July average hit 21.62°C, surpassing the 2022 June–July record.
  • Copernicus scientists, including director Carlo Buontempo, said a very large and possibly unprecedented El Niño is developing and is likely a principal driver of the ocean heat anomalies.
  • Exceptionally low rainfall and soil moisture this summer have fueled extreme drought and wildfires that EU reporting says have burned roughly 1.23 million acres (about 500,000 hectares) and displaced large numbers of people.
  • Sharply reduced river flows on the Seine, Rhine and Danube have disrupted navigation and cooling for power plants, prompting temporary nuclear reactor shutdowns in Hungary and Romania and calls for reduced electricity use.
  • Agencies including the WMO and WFP warn the El Niño plus human-driven warming could push 2026 toward a new global heat record and heighten risks to food security for tens of millions of vulnerable people next year.