Average temperatures were “the highest for both August and the entire summer.” For example, the previous record set in 2021 was surpassed by 0.4 degrees for all three months, Copernicus said in a statement. In August it was on average 0.8 degrees warmer in Europe than in the same month in 2018, which so far was regarded as the warmest August ever recorded.
Western Europe in particular suffered intense heat waves this summer. Global warming has made this more likely in recent years.
The high temperatures had far-reaching consequences. Agriculture and nature were severely damaged by severe drought and forest fires. Shipping also suffered greatly from the low water level in large rivers such as the Rhine.
Globally, according to Copernicus, the temperature in August was just as high as in 2017 and 2021, resulting in a shared third place.
(Re)see also: “What is a heat wave?”