Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 9

Western Europe Logs Hottest June at 3.06C Above Normal as Wildfires Burn 56% More Land

Updated

Updated · The Guardian · Jul 9

Western Europe Logs Hottest June at 3.06C Above Normal as Wildfires Burn 56% More Land

Q: A 'super' El Niño is now fueling record heat. Could 2027 become the hottest year in human history?

Yes. Based on current forecasts, 2027 is now a strong candidate to become the hottest year ever recorded, though scientists would still describe that as highly likely rather than certain. The main reason is timing. El Niño has been declared and is expected to strengthen into late 2026 and the winter of 2026-27. Historically, El Niño’s biggest effect on global average temperature often shows up with a lag, making the year after its peak especially warm. That pattern helped drive record years such as 1998, 2016 and 2024. This event could be very strong. Forecasts cited by the WMO, NOAA and other agencies show a substantial chance that the current El Niño becomes a “very strong” event by late 2026. El Niño typically adds around 0.2C to global temperatures, and this time it is arriving on top of a climate system already heated by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and unusually warm oceans. That is why experts are openly pointing to 2027. A WMO-linked outlook says an El Niño developing at the end of 2026 raises the odds that 2027 will be the next record-breaking year. One analysis puts the chance of 2027 becoming the warmest year on record at about 85%. The wider context matters. Europe’s record June heat, marine heat waves, wildfire risk and heat deaths show the baseline climate is already much hotter than in past El Niño years. So El Niño is not the root cause; it is an amplifier. If it strengthens as expected, 2027 could very plausibly set a new global heat record.

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 9

Copernicus said Western Europe’s June temperatures ran 3.06C above the 1991-2020 average, the region’s hottest June on record, as a third heatwave in six weeks grips parts of Europe.
Dry conditions and repeated heat surges are amplifying fire risk: EU data shows wildfires have burned 56% more land than usual, with 35,400 hectares scorched in France and 55,128 hectares in Spain.
Barcelona hit a record 40.5C on Wednesday, France reported a 22-year-old firefighter killed in the Alps, and the EU has deployed firefighters and water-bombing aircraft to support overstretched national services.
The UK is entering its third heatwave of the year, with highs of 34C forecast and an extreme marine heatwave offshore, while officials warn prolonged hot nights are worsening health risks and wildfire danger.
Globally, June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record and oceans were the hottest observed, underscoring scientists’ warning that carbon pollution is loading the climate system with more heat.

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The Guardian3h ago

Western Europe Records Hottest June Amid Intensifying Heatwaves and Wildfires

Reuters5h ago

Western Europe records hottest June on record, EU scientists say | Reuters

The New York Times5h ago

Western Europe Records Hottest June Amidst Climate Change, Leading to Over 2,700 Estimated Deaths in France

8 Sources

A 'super' El Niño is now fueling record heat. Could 2027 become the hottest year in human history?

Europe's infrastructure is buckling under extreme heat. What does this mean for the stability of its cities?

Unprecedented June 2026 Heatwave in Western Europe: Climate Drivers, Deadly Impacts, and the Path Forward

Overview

In June 2026, Western Europe faced a record-breaking heatwave caused by a persistent high-pressure system that drew in hot, dry air and blocked cooler air from entering the region. This situation was made worse by dry soils, which limited evaporative cooling and caused the ground and air to heat up even faster. These extreme conditions are linked to over a century of rising greenhouse gas emissions, which have steadily increased global temperatures. The heatwave not only broke temperature records but also highlighted how climate change is making such dangerous events more frequent and severe, putting people, infrastructure, and ecosystems at risk.

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