Summer 2024 has been marked as the warmest on record globally, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Europe, in particular, experienced its hottest summer, with temperatures averaging 1.54°C above the 1991-2020 baseline, surpassing the previous record set in 2022.

August was notable as the 13th month out of a 14-month stretch where global average temperatures exceeded 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite the UK experiencing its coolest summer since 2015, much of Europe faced significantly higher temperatures.

The global average temperature so far this year is 0.7°C above the 1991-2020 average, the highest ever recorded. This trend suggests that 2024 is likely to become the warmest year on record globally, according to Copernicus, the EU’s climate service.

Heatwaves and extreme weather events have been prominent worldwide, and Copernicus deputy director Samantha Burgess warned that such temperature-related extremes will become increasingly intense. Europe saw record-breaking temperatures this summer, with Austria setting a new high, Spain experiencing its warmest August ever, Finland recording its joint warmest, and Switzerland its second warmest. However, the heat was less severe in Ireland, the UK, western Portugal, Iceland, and southern Norway.

The record heat of 2023 and early 2024 was amplified by the El Niño phenomenon—a natural climate pattern that warmed sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific from June 2023 to May 2024. While El Niño has ended, its effects will continue to influence global temperatures throughout 2024. Scientists at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology anticipate a transition to the cooler La Niña phase in the coming months.