Introduction
Western Europe experienced record temperatures amid heat waves that took effect from May 2026 onward. During the season’s fifth heat wave in mid-August, temperatures exceeded 40°C across a wide area; the extreme heat lasted for days and, in some places, weeks, continuing through the night.
The heat increased hospital admissions and heat-related deaths; it also damaged roads and railway tracks, disrupted transportation, and caused major wildfires.
Developments
As the drought intensified, river levels fell to record lows, adversely affecting water and energy resources, transportation, and agriculture.
Data combining NASA satellite observations with the GEOS model showed daily maximum surface air temperatures for the May 1-August 19, 2026 period. The temperature in London reached 35.1°C on May 26, exceeding the previous May record by 2.3°C. In Bordeaux, the record was broken on three consecutive days, with 42.5°C measured on June 24.
Details
Slovakia recorded new national daytime and nighttime temperature records in August. According to Copernicus, the June and July averages in Western Europe were the highest on record. Initial reports indicated that the heat may have been linked to 10,000 excess deaths.