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Western Europe Had Its Hottest June on Record
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, with average temperatures 3.05°C (5.5°F) above normal, surpassing the previous record set last year, according to Copernicus, the EU's climate monitoring service.
- The global temperature for June was the second warmest on record, 1.39°C (2.5°F) above pre-industrial levels, reflecting ongoing heat accumulation in the climate system.
- Several countries, including France, Britain, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, saw significant temperature record breaks, with France experiencing its hottest day ever recorded for any month on three consecutive days.
- Scientists attribute the intensity and frequency of these heat waves to climate change, which increases baseline temperatures and makes extreme heat events more likely and severe compared to past decades.
- The recent heat wave's severity and extent have been linked to climate change, with researchers noting that the probability of such an event has increased even compared to the deadly 2003 European heat wave.
