This year's June went down in history as the hottest June on record in Western Europe. According to data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service and the Meteorological Institute, globally, this year's June became the second hottest June ever recorded on Earth. The average temperature in Western Europe in June was measured at 20,74 degrees. This value signifies approximately 3 degrees higher than the June averages between 1991-2000. Additionally, this temperature surpassed the previous year's record, setting a new peak.
These extraordinary temperatures experienced across Europe were not limited to Western Europe; air temperatures in Finland also remained above seasonal norms. In a large part of Finland, average temperatures occurred at a level of 1 to 2 degrees higher than long-term averages. Evaluated on a global scale, the average temperature for June was recorded as 16,54 degrees. This figure points to a value 0,56 degrees higher than the average between 1991-2000. Furthermore, current data reveal that this temperature is exactly 1,39 degrees warmer than the estimated pre-industrial period average between 1850-1900.
Along with land temperature records, unprecedented levels of temperature increases were also observed in our planet's marine areas. When polar regions are excluded, the average water temperature of the oceans reached 20,86 degrees, becoming the highest value ever measured for June. This new record managed to break the previous peak recorded in June of the previous year by a mere 0,01 degrees Celsius. Experts state that El Niño conditions developing in the Pacific Ocean around the equator played a significant role in breaking this sea surface temperature record.
This extreme heatwave experienced in the middle of the summer season caused severe damage and adverse consequences in many countries across Europe. Prolonged drought and various health problems were among the most prominent and bitter consequences of this heatwave. Forest fires, which occurred intensely especially in the Iberian Peninsula and Southern France, caused great damage to the ecosystems in the regions. These events, where human-caused casualties were also reported, revealed how destructive extreme weather conditions can be. Authorities continue to warn local populations and relevant institutions that the frequency and severity of such disasters are likely to increase in the future.
Joonas Merikanto, a senior researcher at the Meteorological Institute, emphasized that these records broken in June are not random extraordinary weather events, but rather an inevitable part of rapidly progressing climate change. He stated that the warming climate system directly raises the starting point of heatwaves, and that while similar weather conditions in the past produced much lower temperatures, they now yield much higher values. Merikanto also explained that a large portion of the excess heat entering the system is absorbed by the oceans, causing the record-high sea water temperatures to become persistent. He warned that these warmed ocean waters increase the heat and moisture content in the atmosphere, thereby further feeding and intensifying the severity of the heatwaves experienced in Europe.
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