Global Seas Record Hottest July as European Heat and Drought Intensify

Global sea-surface temperatures outside the polar regions reached their highest level on record for July in 2026, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The July reading exceeded the previous monthly record set in 2023. Copernicus also found record July sea temperatures along Europe’s Atlantic coast and in the western Mediterranean, where severe marine heatwaves accompanied an exceptionally hot and dry start to summer.

Worldwide surface-air temperatures in July 2026 were 0.01 degrees Celsius below July 2024, leaving the two months effectively tied as the second-warmest Julys recorded. Western Europe, meanwhile, experienced its hottest combined June-July period on record, with temperatures 2.79 degrees Celsius above the usual level.

Scientists said persistent high-pressure systems trapped heat over western Europe while worsening drought. Dry soils then reduced natural cooling, reinforcing extreme temperatures and conditions favourable to wildfires. Copernicus reported exceptionally low rainfall and soil moisture across much of western Europe, with consequences for water supplies, farming and electricity generation.

About 500,000 hectares have burned across the European Union since the start of 2026, according to European wildfire monitoring data cited in the source report. Researchers warned that prolonged drought can also create economic damage that continues for years beyond the initial dry period.