In Western Europe, it was the hottest summer ever
With a global average surface air temperature of 1.65 °C, or 0.85 °C above the average for the period 1991–2020 compared with the pre-industrial reference value of 1850–1900, August 2026 was the warmest globally in the ERA5 dataset, having surpassed the previous joint record recorded in 2023 and 2024.
In Western Europe, it was the hottest summer ever, surpassing the previous record set in 2003. In August, the region also recorded further heatwaves, which prolonged an exceptional period of extreme heat that began in May.
The summer of 2026 (from June to August) was the third hottest ever in Europe, after 2024 and 2022.
According to Samantha Burgess, Strategic Climate Lead at ECMWF “ August 2026 was a remarkable month in the global climate record. It was both the warmest August and the warmest month ever recorded, with global temperatures reaching 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels, marking the return of global temperatures above 1.5°C. Combined with record global sea surface temperatures and the warmest summer on record for Western Europe, these observations show how climate change is driving extremes across both the atmosphere and the oceans. The impacts of these conditions are increasingly being felt by communities, economies and ecosystems across the world.”
Across Europe, SSTs reached record levels for the month of August along the Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean, coinciding with widespread conditions of intense or severe marine heatwaves.
Some areas of Western Europe and large regions of Central and Eastern Europe recorded drier-than-average conditions.
Wetter-than-average conditions occurred in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula, the Alpine region, northeastern Europe, eastern Turkey and adjacent regions, with heavy rainfall causing local flooding in several areas.
The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is both a research institute and a 24/7 operational service, producing global numerical weather predictions and other data for our Member and Co-operating States and the broader community.
ECMWF is a key player in Copernicus, the Earth Observation component of the European Union’s Space programme.