Europe endured a summer of extraordinary heat, with a record 52% of the continent experiencing intense heat stress, according to the EU’s climate monitoring service.
The world’s fastest-warming continent was hit by a relentless succession of heatwaves that arrived unusually early in spring. Driven by climate change, the extreme conditions broke temperature records and contributed to tens of thousands of excess deaths.
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“One of the things that stands out for 2026 is that the heat was not only remarkable for its intensity, but also for its geographical extent,” said Samantha Burgess, climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which runs Copernicus.
Europe recorded its third-hottest summer overall, while western Europe experienced its warmest on record. Several countries also registered their highest temperatures ever recorded.
Copernicus said 52% of Europe faced “very strong” heat stress, defined as feels-like temperatures above 38C.
About 80% of the continent experienced “strong” heat stress, with apparent temperatures exceeding 32C. Such conditions were recorded on a record 41 days by the end of the season.
Heat stress sets in when the body can no longer cool itself effectively. The effects can begin with dizziness and headaches before progressing to organ failure and death.
“Summer 2026 demonstrated how heat stress is becoming both more widespread and more persistent,” Ms Burgess said, adding that it is the leading cause of weather-related deaths worldwide.
The season was also unusually dry, sending river flows to their lowest levels since records began in 1992. The decline disrupted freight transport and increased pressure on irrigation systems, nuclear reactor cooling and hydropower generation, Copernicus said.
Drought has become increasingly common across Europe over the past 45 years.
By the end of August, nearly half of Europe was affected by drought, Ms Burgess said.
“That’s one of the defining characteristics of summer this year, that it was not a single record. It was the way that multiple records appeared together across the climate system,” Ms Burgess said.
