The European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that June 2026 was the hottest June on record in Western Europe. The average air temperature in the region reached 20.74 degrees, which is more than three degrees above the climate norm for 1991–2020. This surpassed the record set just a year ago. The new report was published amid another heatwave that has once again engulfed European countries this week. Unusually high temperatures began to be recorded as early as May—significantly earlier than the usual season. According to Copernicus, June 2026 was the second hottest June on record not only in Europe but globally as well. The average global temperature was 1.39 degrees above pre-industrial levels. The world's oceans also set records: the sea surface temperature in June reached its highest value for this month in the entire observation period. Experts attribute this in part to the strengthening of the El Niño climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean. The situation became particularly severe in Europe due to the so-called "heat dome," which trapped hot air over a significant part of the continent. As a result, several countries set new absolute and monthly temperature records. According to Copernicus, from June 15 to 30, more than 410 million people, or over two-thirds of the population of Europe, experienced conditions where air temperatures exceeded +35 degrees for at least part of the time. High humidity made the heat even more dangerous. Even at night, temperatures often did not drop to comfortable levels, making it difficult for the body to recover and increasing the strain on people's health. According to specialists, the current heatwave has been linked to thousands of deaths, primarily in France, Spain, and Belgium. Copernicus warns that as the climate changes, such periods of extreme heat will occur more frequently. According to Samantha Burgess, a representative of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, heatwaves are becoming longer, more intense, and covering larger areas. The new report confirms that extreme heat is gradually becoming not an exception, but an increasingly noticeable part of the European climate.