UK and Europe shatter heat records as scientists warn of more extreme summers

Two record-breaking summer heatwaves had already hit the UK and Europe by early July, with temperatures peaking at 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, and Cardiff recording a June night that never fell below 23.5C. Human-induced climate change is making episodes like these more likely and more intense, the UK Met Office says. The five warmest UK summers have all come since 2003.

Summer 2025 became the warmest on record at 16.1C, and 1976 has now slipped out of the top five warmest UK summers. The UK's previous June high of 35.6C, set in 1957 and tied in 1976, was overtaken.

Across Europe, 2024 was the warmest year on record and the continent was the fastest-warming region. The European Commission's State of the Climate report recorded more extreme heat days and tropical nights, while the area seeing days below freezing continued to shrink. The same assessment found Europe and the Mediterranean Sea had their highest annual sea-surface temperature on record, glaciers in Scandinavia and Svalbard suffered their highest recorded annual mass loss, Western Europe had one of its ten wettest years, and Southeastern Europe endured its driest summer in a 12-year drought index record.

During the June 2026 heatwave, extreme temperatures were affecting economic activity, infrastructure, agriculture and ecosystems, while heat-health action plans were mobilized for millions of people, the World Meteorological Organization said. France recorded its hottest day on record on June 24, with a national average of 30.0C, and Météo-France issued red alerts for a record 58 departments. Spain logged its hottest June days on June 23 and 24, with temperatures above 40C in several locations, while the UK Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning for June 24 and 25 and recorded a provisional new June daily high of 36.1C at Gosport.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell said the heatwave carried the fingerprints of the climate crisis.