Western Europe endured five successive severe heat waves between May and August 2026, breaking historical temperature records and causing widespread infrastructure and health disruptions.

Key Details

• A May 2026 heat dome broke temperature records across several European countries, including 35.1°C in London on May 26.
• Bordeaux, France, broke maximum temperature records on three consecutive days, peaking at 42.5°C on June 24, 2026.
• Slovakia set new national records for daytime and nighttime highs in August 2026.
• Copernicus reported that combined June and July temperatures in Western Europe were the highest on record.
• The extreme heat was associated with an estimated 10,000 excess deaths across the UK, France, Germany, and Belgium.

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