Europe’s summer from hell seems over – but is it really?

Record heat, drought, fires, and floods battered the continent – and scientists warn such extremes are becoming far more likely Summer is officially over in Europe – and for millions of people, this may be remembered as the year when extreme weather stopped feeling particularly unusual. Western Europe endured an extraordinary succession of heatwaves, drought, wildfires, and water shortages. Temperatures repeatedly climbed above 40C (104F), rivers fell to historic lows, and crops withered. Then, in some places, the drought ended not with gentle rain but violent storms and flash flooding. France, the UK, and Belgium all recorded their hottest summers on record. So, was 2026 simply an exceptionally unlucky summer? Scientists increasingly say no. © The Copernicus Climate Change Service How hot was it? France averaged 24C across June, July, and August, 3.6C above the 1991-2020 norm. The previous record, set during the deadly summer of 2003, was 2.7C above normal. The country endured three official heatwaves totaling an unprecedented 53 days. Some 45% of France experienced temperatures of at least 40C at some point during the summer. Britain, hardly famous for scorching summers, recorded a seasonal mean temperature of 16.5C – the highest since national records began in 1884. Temperatures peaked at 38.1C at London’s Kew Gardens, while 54 weather stations operated by the Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, broke their all-time maximum records. Across Western Europe, June and July were the hottest on record, with the average temperature reaching 21.62C – 2.79C above the 1991-2020 norm, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. People cool off in the Warsaw Fountain at the Jardins du Trocadero in front of the Eiffel Tower during hot weather on June 24, 2026 in Paris, France. © Annice Lyn / Getty Images Visitors walk along London’s Southbank as temperatures hit a record 36°C on June 24, 2026.

© Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images How deadly was it? Extreme heat can worsen heart, respiratory, and kidney problems, meaning its health impact is often measured through excess mortality rather than deaths explicitly attributed to heat. In France, the national public health agency estimated almost 5,800 excess deaths from all causes during the June 17-July 2 heatwave, 36% above the expected level in the affected areas. Another 1,243 excess deaths were recorded during heatwave periods between July 3 and 22. The figures are preliminary and do not mean heat caused every additional death, but health officials said the sharp increases highlighted the impact of prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Older people were particularly vulnerable: Those aged 75 and over accounted for roughly two-thirds of the excess deaths during France’s first heatwave. FILE PHOTO. An orderly carries an empty stretcher through Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona. © Kike Rincon / Europa Press via Getty Images © The Copernicus Climate Change Service From heat to drought – and fire Read more Hundreds evacuated as French wildfires spread (VIDEO) High-pressure weather kept much of Western Europe hot and dry for long periods, while the extreme heat dried out soils and vegetation even further. This can reinforce the heat. Once soils dry, less water is available for evaporation, reducing the natural cooling of the surface and allowing temperatures to rise further. France received almost 40% less rainfall than normal, making 2026 its second-driest summer since 1959, while soil drought reached unprecedented levels nationwide. Major European waterways also dropped sharply. Copernicus reported exceptionally low flows in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube, disrupting transport, irrigation, and energy production. ©&