Hottest summer on record in Europe, with Hague climate change summit approaching
This summer was the hottest ever measured in Europe, the European research institute Copernicus announced ahead of its climate summit in The Hague next week. The average temperature was a “substantial” 0.4 degrees higher than the previous heat record for June to August, set last year.
The month of August was also the hottest on record for Europe, breaking the 2018 record by a massive margin of 0.8 degrees Celsius. Temperatures last month were higher than the 1991-2020 average almost everywhere in Europe, but most so in the far east of the continent. The continent's southwest also saw extremely high temperatures, with heatwaves throughout the summer.
In the Netherlands, this summer was the third hottest since temperature measurements started in 1901, the Dutch meteorological institute KNMI said. Only the summers of 2018 and 2003 were hotter.
Globally, August was 0.3 degrees higher than the 1991-2020 average, tying with 2017 and 2021 as the hottest August on record, according to Copernicus.
The Copernicus Climate Change Service General Assembly is happening in The Hague from 13 to 15 September. The summit will consist of various sessions and networking opportunities, with speakers from leading international research institutes, government services, and the private sector.
