According to data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the average sea surface temperature in extra-polar oceans located between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north latitude was 20.96 degrees Celsius last month. This figure exceeded the previous July record of 20.89 degrees Celsius set in 2023. Developing El Niño conditions contributed to the formation of exceptionally warm waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
Sea temperatures were abnormally high across a vast area of the tropical Pacific Ocean where El Niño conditions are observed, which are forecast to intensify in the coming months. Furthermore, waters around Europe were also unusually warm; C3S reported record July sea surface temperatures along the Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean Sea, where widespread strong or extreme marine heatwaves developed.
Globally, July became the second warmest July in history, surpassed only by 2023. The global average air temperature was 16.90 degrees Celsius, which is 1.47 degrees Celsius higher than the calculated pre-industrial average for the period 1850–1900.
Meanwhile, Western Europe experienced its hottest period in June-July in recorded history following a series of heatwaves that began back in May, according to C3S. The average temperature in the region over these two months reached 21.62 degrees Celsius, which is 2.79 degrees Celsius above the average for the 1991–2020 period and surpasses the previous record set in 2022.
Samantha Burgess, Strategic Climate Lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, noted that 'July 2026 became the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in Western Europe.' She explained that persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over the region, and dry soils prevented natural cooling, allowing temperatures to rise further.
The dry conditions that persisted in May and June continued and intensified in many parts of Western and Central Europe in July. France, Spain, parts of Germany, and Britain reported exceptionally low levels of precipitation or soil moisture. River flow levels in many arid areas dropped significantly below normal, with the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers being particularly affected, creating strain on water supply, irrigation, river transport, ecosystems, and energy production.
The combination of persistent heat and drought also contributed to unprecedented forest fire activity across Western Europe in terms of both burned area and emissions, as indicated by C3S. Lawrence Ruil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, stated: 'Climate change is increasingly leading to hot and dry conditions that favor large, high-intensity forest fires in Southern Europe while simultaneously expanding the fire season northward.' He added that larger fires can send smoke higher into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel thousands of kilometers and affect air quality.
