The summer was characterized by extreme heatwaves and drought across Europe, with a record 52% of the continent's territory experiencing heat stress—defined as temperatures of 38°C or higher. This was reported by the European Space Agency's climate monitoring service, based in Bonn, Germany.
Western Europe broke the previous temperature record set in 2003. There were 17 days when at least 60% of the territory recorded temperatures above 30°C, exceeding the 11 days recorded in 2003 and 7 days in 2025.
Samantha Burgess, a strategic climate specialist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), stated that unprecedented heatwaves, widespread drought, exceptionally low river runoff, and unusually high sea temperatures occurred simultaneously in vast areas of the continent.
She emphasized that the consequences extended beyond temperature records, as they affected water availability, energy systems, transport, ecosystems, and human health. Burgess called for building resilience in the face of increasingly interconnected climate risks.
Several major European rivers, including the Rhine, Danube, Loire, and Rhône, recorded runoff below historical lows, disrupting goods transport as well as nuclear and hydroelectric power generation. Overall, the continent experienced the lowest runoff levels since the start of the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS) in 1992.
On the other hand, record or near-record sea surface temperatures were recorded along much of the Atlantic coast and in the western and central Mediterranean.
Furthermore, the heat and drought contributed to an extremely active wildfire season. According to the European Wildfire Information System, as of September 2, the area burned across the EU was nearly double the average for the 2006–2025 period for this time of year, with particularly high activity observed in Spain and France.
In Portugal, nearly eight thousand fires broke out this year, destroying 74,267 hectares of land. This is 72% less than in the same period last year and marks the sixth worst year in the decade, according to preliminary data from the Integrated Forest Fire Management System (SGIFR). Fires increased by approximately 9% compared to 2025, and this year saw the highest number of fires since 2022, also making it the sixth year in the decade with the most fires.