SourceEurope’s Scorching Summer
These heat waves resulted in approximately 10,000 excess deaths and critical infrastructure failures. The impact is worsened by a lack of air conditioning in most European homes.
- 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.