Amid blistering heat waves, brutal drought and widespread wildfires, Europe just notched its hottest summer in recorded history, new data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service shows.
It was the second historic summer in a row for the continent, with average temperatures 0.4˚C (0.72˚F) higher than the previous record set just. August was especially scorching, surpassing the 2018 record by a whopping 0.8˚C (1.4˚F).
The combination of record temperatures and extraordinarily dry conditions fueled by climate change wreaked havoc across the continent. Officials have attributed thousands of deaths to the long stretches of oppressively hot weather. Crops withered and forests turned brown and barren, as Western Europe was gripped by the worst drought in centuries. Wildfires raged from the Caucasus Mountains to the Atlantic coast, with flames consuming roughly 50% than the previous record set in 2017.