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Europe suffered four of its 10 worst-ever heatwaves in ONE summer as record 52% faced extreme heat stress

From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026 · last updated 3 October 2026.

Europe's summer of 2026, the deadliest on record for heat. Copernicus confirmed 52 per cent of the continent endured dangerous feels-like temperatures above 38C, as more than 34,600 lives were lost across five western…
Europe's summer of 2026, the deadliest on record for heat. Copernicus confirmed 52 per cent of the continent endured dangerous feels-like temperatures above 38C, as more than 34,600 lives were lost across five western…

More than 34,600 people died from heat across western Europe this summer after the continent endured its hottest season on record, with four of its ten worst heatwaves striking in a single year. The EU's Copernicus climate monitor found a record 52% of Europe was exposed to "very strong" heat stress — feels-like temperatures above 38C — on a record 41 days. Spain suffered 5,805 excess heat deaths and France recorded 7,824, both their highest tolls since records began.

Rivers fell to their lowest flows since 1992, hitting freight, nuclear reactor cooling and hydropower across the continent.

Western Europe's average summer temperature hit 21.7C — a staggering 2.5C above the long-term average, its hottest summer ever recorded.

Copernicus climate lead Samantha Burgess warned the heat was 'not a single record' but 'multiple records appearing together across the climate'.

Moresharjah24.aeEuropes hottest summer caused record heat stressfreemalaysiatoday.comEurope’s hottest summer triggers record heat stressfrance24.comMore than half of Europe faced intense summer heat stress, EU monitor says - France 24msn.comEurope's scorching summer: Half of the continent was hit by extreme heat stress, data revealsphys.orgEurope's hottest summer caused record heat stress: Monitor
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