World's oceans hit record-high July temperatures

The average temperature across Western Europe for June and July was 21.62C - 2.79C above average and the highest for the two-month period."July 2026 was the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in Western Europe," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over the region, she said, while dry soils reduced the ability to provide natural cooling."This is a clear example of how Climate Change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another," she added.France, Spain, parts of Germany and the UK recorded exceptionally low rainfall and/or soil moisture, while soil moisture levels across much of Western Europe were significantly lower than in 2022, when the region experienced severe drought.River levels have been much lower than average - in some places exceptionally low -with the Seine, Rhine and Danube among those particularly affected.Low flows exacerbate pressure on water supplies and irrigation, aquatic ecosystems, river transport and energy production.