#ClimateChange - "July 2026 was the third consecutive month of exceptional heat in western Europe, bringing the combined temperature for June and July to a new record for the region. Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to build more readily. This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another." Samantha Burgess, Strategic Lead for Climate at ECMWF - Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) - Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space programme, looking at our planet and its environment to benefit all European citizens https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-highest-july-global-ocean-surface-temperatures-exceptionally-hot-dry-conditions-fuel