Western Europe just experienced its hottest June on record. The Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that average temperatures for June were 3.05°C above the 1991–2020 average, accompanied by marine heatwaves in the western Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.
A massive heatwave struck multiple European countries starting in late June, with another wave arriving in July. In Portugal, inland areas saw extreme temperatures above 40°C for several days, prompting red heat alerts. Germany recorded 41.7°C on June 28, breaking its national heat record for the third consecutive day. In the UK, over a thousand schools adjusted schedules or closed, and temperatures on the London Underground neared 40°C, causing passengers to suffer heatstroke.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on June 28 that over 1,300 excess heat-related deaths had been recorded in Europe since June 21. The World Weather Attribution group found that deaths from this heatwave exceeded those from all other natural disasters combined. Several countries placed their healthcare systems on alert, with France raising its alert to the highest level and urgently purchasing 30,000 air conditioning units for hospitals.
In France, electricity production was directly hit. EDF announced that four nuclear reactors were shut down or operating at reduced capacity because cooling water from rivers was too warm, creating an instantaneous power deficit of over 4 GW. In Italy, automaker Stellantis extended production halts at some plants. Allianz Trade calculated that if the five hottest years from 2014–2024 were repeated between 2026 and 2030, major European economies could face a cumulative GDP loss of 5% to 7% over the following five years.
Wildfires also spread across the region. In southern France, fires in Hérault, Aude, and Pyrénées-Orientales burned over 3,000 hectares, forcing about 10,000 people to evacuate. In Spain, fires in Catalonia affected over 40,000 people. Portugal mobilized more than 1,200 firefighters, nearly 400 vehicles, and 15 aircraft to largely contain a wildfire in the central Vouzela region that had scorched about 12,000 hectares.
Only about 20% of European households have air conditioning, and many buildings are designed to retain heat, not shed it. The WHO Regional Office for Europe issued a new Heat-Health Action Plan Guidance, recommending early warning systems, identifying vulnerable groups, and integrating heat responses into public health systems.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell said school closures, deaths among vulnerable groups, and economic disruption are the face of the climate crisis, and this is just the beginning. UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted during London Climate Action Week that the world had just experienced the hottest 11 years on record, with climate disasters becoming more frequent and destructive.