June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record globally, with an average surface air temperature of 16.54C, according to Copernicus.
Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, after an intense heatwave pushed temperatures 3.05C above the 1991-2020 average.
Global sea surface temperatures outside the polar regions reached 20.86C, the highest ever recorded for June.
Copernicus said persistent ocean warmth, strengthening El Niño conditions and repeated heatwaves point to rising risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure.
June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record globally and the warmest on record for Western Europe, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).
Global sea surface temperatures (SSTs) outside the polar regions (60°S–60°N) were also the highest on record for June, according to C3S. Western Europe also experienced its most intense heatwave for the month of June in 2026.
The global average surface air temperature for June 2026 was 16.54°C, which was 0.56°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.39°C above the pre-industrial average for 1850–1900. SSTs for June in the extra-polar ocean regions stood at 20.86°C, only 0.01°C higher than June 2024, which held the previous record for the warmest June SSTs.
“The June heatwave broke monthly and all-time temperature records across several European countries and contributed to severe health impacts, including heat-related deaths,” C3S said in a press release. “The succession of heatwaves illustrates the growing challenge posed by increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes across Europe and the globe,” it added.
The heatwave resulted in western Europe experiencing its hottest June on record, with an average temperature of 20.74°C. This was 3.05°C above the 1991–2020 average and surpassed the previous record set in June 2025.
Much of western continental Europe, including Italy, large parts of central and eastern Europe, and southern parts of the United Kingdom, experienced drier-than-normal conditions in June, along with reduced river flows in many regions.
Excessive heat across the continent, combined with widespread dryness, led to significant wildfire activity in regions such as the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. The conditions also increased the risk of drought in many areas of eastern Europe. Drought conditions in western and central Europe had begun developing in May, with soils becoming dry, and the June heatwave further exacerbated them.
Drier-than-average conditions were also observed in other parts of the world, including “parts of the USA and Canada, parts of South America, the Middle East and Central Asia and Russia”, according to C3S.
“June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing. Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record, and continued record warmth in the global ocean,” said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at ECMWF, in the press release.
“Together, these records reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat. The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond,” she added.