June 2026 was Western Europe's hottest on record, second hottest globally, report finds

Source: CBS News

July 8, 2026 / 10:00 PM EDT


Western Europe saw its hottest June on record this year as temperatures skyrocketed around the world last month, with blistering heat stoking wildfires and, at times, turning deadly across the continent and the United States, according to a new report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The C3S report also found that June 2026 was the second-hottest June ever recorded globally.

Much of Western Europe experienced a historic heat wave during the second half of the month, breaking both monthly and all-time temperature records in several countries, the report said.

Last month's heat emerged between an initial spell of extreme warmth that rolled through the region in May and another beginning to form in July. "The succession of heatwaves illustrates the growing challenge posed by increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes across Europe and the globe," the report said.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/western-europe-hottest-june-record-2026-report/