Overview
- Europe has seen repeated extreme heat since May and is entering a new, reported fifth heatwave with fresh national warnings.
- National alerts escalated this week, with Météo‑France forecasting near‑40°C in southeast France and UK authorities issuing an amber heat‑health alert for much of England starting Tuesday.
- Copernicus confirmed a new July record for extrapolar sea‑surface temperature at 20.96°C and reported a global near‑surface air average of 16.90°C, tying July 2024 as the second‑warmest July.
- ECMWF analysis found western Europe set a June–July regional mean record of 21.62°C and attributed the extreme warmth to persistent high‑pressure blocks and drying soils that reduce natural cooling.
- The prolonged heat has driven large wildfires, deepening drought and provisional estimates of thousands of heat‑related deaths, and the extra ocean heat plus a strengthening El Niño could push 2026 higher still.