Extreme June temperatures would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, according to the World Weather Attribution group.
Published On 26 Jun 2026
The historic heatwave gripping Europe is part of a dangerous weather trend that scientists attribute solely to human‑caused climate change.
The extreme temperatures affecting much of Europe constitute the region’s most severe June heatwave ever recorded, a phenomenon the World Weather Attribution group said would have been virtually impossible just 50 years ago, according to a report released on Friday.
Millions of people across France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and other European nations have endured scorching heat this week, with daytime temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F) in many locations.
On Friday the heatwave was reported to be moving eastward, threatening Germany and central Europe with conditions similar to those that have already killed dozens in western parts of the continent, strained medical services and stressed the economy.
World Weather Attribution estimated that a heatwave of comparable intensity in June 1976—when Europe also faced persistent high temperatures—would have been roughly 3.5 °C cooler.
During the 2003 episode, the research indicates that temperatures would have been about 2 °C cooler.
The analysis shows that intense heat is accelerating rapidly, even within living memory, with such events now tens to hundreds of times more likely than in 2003 and virtually impossible just 50 years ago, the study says.
“This event would not have been possible in June without climate change,” said Theodore Keeping, the study’s lead author from Imperial College London, in comments to reporters.
Phasing out fossil fuels ‘critical’
The planet has warmed about 1.4 °C above pre‑industrial levels, driven by the combustion of coal, oil and gas.
Scientists agree that this is rendering extreme weather events such as heatwaves more frequent and severe, and that limiting warming is essential to avert the worst impacts of climate change.
In the World Weather Attribution study, which examined nearly 850 European cities, roughly 45 percent had broken—or were projected to break—their all‑time heat‑stress records in June.
“The weather pattern itself is not particularly unusual, but the temperatures are – or at least they used to be without human‑induced climate change,” said Friederike Otto, co‑founder of World Weather Attribution.
The June heatwave marks the second such episode in Europe this year. An early‑season heat period in May brought temperatures more typical of high summer to central and western parts of the continent.
World Weather Attribution emphasized that a rapid phase‑out of fossil fuels is critical if we are to avoid even higher temperatures and their consequences in the future.