EU reports record heat, ocean temperatures in July
by Joe Fisher · UPIAug. 10 (UPI) -- July delivered the highest ocean temperatures in recorded history, and western Europe marked its hottest start to summer on record, the European Union said Monday.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service, the EU's climate monitoring arm, said the average sea surface temperature outside of the polar regions was 20.96 degrees Celsius, or about 69.72 degree Fahrenheit, in July.
The previous record average was 20.89 degrees Celsius, 69.02 degrees Fahrenheit, recorded in 2023.
While the ocean warmed, the land also marked record highs in June and July. Western Europe's hot and dry summer has been the hottest ever recorded.
The average temperature in June and July was 21.62 degrees Celsius, or 70.9 degrees Fahrenheit. That is about 2.79 degrees above average. The previous record was set in 2022.
Copernicus said surface soil moisture levels in July were also "significantly lower" than in July 2022. The dry conditions have lent to a broad heatwave across the region, setting the stage for a rash of wildfires.
"Last month saw exceptional wildfire activity across western Europe, in terms of the area burnt and emissions," Laurence Rouil, director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, said in a statement. "Climate change is increasingly bringing the kids of hot and dry conditions that favour large, high-intensity wildfires in southern Europe while extending the fire season northwards."
More than 25,000 heat-related deaths have been recorded across Europe.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world.
Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, said in a statement that western Europe has experienced "exceptional heat" for three straight months.
"Persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe, the extreme temperatures also amplified drought," she said. "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."