Western Europe sets new temperature record as heat waves pummel the region

Western Europe sets new temperature record as heat waves pummel the region 1 of 5 | People walk on a sandbar underneath the Danube’s Margareth Bridge in downtown Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026, as the river, which runs through 10 European countries, has receded never-before-seen low water levels. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky) 2 of 5 | A man walks on dried grass in a park, amid drought conditions in London, in London, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) 3 of 5 | Vehicles cross the Rhine bridge on the A48 highway with a view of the low water levels on the Rhine, near Bendorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP) 4 of 5 | A pharmacy display shows a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in Paris during a Heat Wave, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard). 5 of 5 | A firefighting helicopter releases water over a wildfire near Correns, southeastern France, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Clement Mahoudeau/Pool Photo via AP) 1 of 5 | People walk on a sandbar underneath the Danube’s Margareth Bridge in downtown Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026, as the river, which runs through 10 European countries, has receded never-before-seen low water levels. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky) 1 of 5 People walk on a sandbar underneath the Danube’s Margareth Bridge in downtown Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday Aug. 5, 2026, as the river, which runs through 10 European countries, has receded never-before-seen low water levels. (AP Photo/Bela Szandelszky) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 5 | A man walks on dried grass in a park, amid drought conditions in London, in London, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) 2 of 5 A man walks on dried grass in a park, amid drought conditions in London, in London, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 5 | Vehicles cross the Rhine bridge on the A48 highway with a view of the low water levels on the Rhine, near Bendorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP) 3 of 5 Vehicles cross the Rhine bridge on the A48 highway with a view of the low water levels on the Rhine, near Bendorf, Germany, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026, (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 5 | A pharmacy display shows a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in Paris during a Heat Wave, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard). 4 of 5 A pharmacy display shows a temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in Paris during a Heat Wave, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard). Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 5 of 5 | A firefighting helicopter releases water over a wildfire near Correns, southeastern France, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Clement Mahoudeau/Pool Photo via AP) 5 of 5 A firefighting helicopter releases water over a wildfire near Correns, southeastern France, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Clement Mahoudeau/Pool Photo via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] BERLIN (AP) — The heat waves roiling Western Europe this summer toppled an average temperature record for the June-July period set in 2022, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.The extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records across the region, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.Globally, so far this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Niño, a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe, there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, beating out 2024 — or at least come close, scientists said. Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extra-polar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, Copernicus said. That was partially fueled by developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific, the service said. The new average record for July is 20.96 degrees Celsius (69.73 degrees Fahrenheit), which beat the 2023 record of 20.89 C (69.60 F).But last month’s average surface air temperature globally was 16.90°C (62.42 F), making it only the joint second warmest July on record and tied with July 2024, Copernicus reported. 1 MIN READ 1 MIN READ 4 MIN READ In Western Europe, meanwhile, the average temperature record for the June-July period hit 21.62°C (70.92 F), Copernicus said. “Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over Western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. “This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another.” Dazio covers Northern Europe from Berlin for The Associated Press. She previously covered crime and criminal justice from Los Angeles.