Cyprus and Malta were the only European Union countries to record near-normal temperatures in June as Western Europe endured its hottest June on record, according to data highlighted by the European Commission.
In a post on social media, the Commission said intense heatwaves swept across much of Europe last month, with temperatures reaching up to 9 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average in parts of France and Germany. “Only Cyprus and Malta had normal temperatures,” it noted.
The findings are based on data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the EU's Earth observation and climate monitoring programme operated by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Copernicus combines billions of observations from satellites, ships, aircraft and weather stations to monitor global climate conditions.
According to Copernicus, June 2026 was the warmest June ever recorded in Sestern Europe, with an average temperature of 20.74C, more than 3C above the 1991-2020 average for the month.
The heatwave affected large parts of the continent during the second half of June, breaking monthly and, in some cases, all-time temperature records in several countries. Temperature anomalies peaked at around 9C above normal in parts of France and Germany.
Copernicus said June 2026 was also the world's second-warmest June on record, with average global temperatures 1.39C above estimated pre-industrial levels.
The extreme heat contributed to wildfires, drought conditions and heat-related deaths across parts of Europe. Reuters reported that authorities recorded more than 4,700 excess deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during the June heatwave, while scientists linked the increasing frequency and intensity of such events to human-driven climate change.
The European Commission said the latest figures underscored the growing impact of climate change across the continent, warning: “Climate change is here and we are feeling its effects.”
Western Europe had its hottest June on record.🔥
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) July 21, 2026
Intense heatwaves broke temperature records, with peaks up to 9°C above average in France and Germany, according to Copernicus data. Only Cyprus and Malta had normal temperatures.
Climate change is here and we are feeling its… pic.twitter.com/iR3Wr6uonq
