Global sea surface temperatures reached a record high last month, and Western Europe experienced its hottest period for the second consecutive month, according to the European Union's climate monitoring agency, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).

According to C3S, the average surface temperature of the non-polar oceans—between 60 degrees south and 60 degrees north latitude, excluding the polar regions—reached 20.96°C (70°F) in July of this year.

This surpassed the previous record for July set in July 2023 (20.89°C (66°F)).

C3S explained that marine heatwaves in European waters, including the Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean, along with the developing El Niño in the equatorial Pacific, contributed to the high water temperatures.

The average temperature in Western Europe for June and July of this year recorded 21.62°C (71°F), which was 2.79°C higher than the normal average (1991–2020 average).

This surpassed the previous record high for the same period set in 2022.

Samantha Burgess, a climate strategy lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), noted that unusual heatwaves had continued for three months through July in Western Europe. She explained that persistent high pressure trapped heat in the region, and dry soils weakened natural cooling, driving temperatures even higher.

"When soils dry out, they lose their natural ability to lower temperatures, causing heat to accumulate more easily," she explained, adding that "this is a clear case where climate change is intensifying extreme heat, and heatwaves and droughts are increasingly amplifying each other."

C3S stated that in July of this year, precipitation or soil moisture content significantly fell below normal levels not only in France and Spain, but also in parts of Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the United Kingdom across Western and Central Europe.

Flow rates in the Seine, Rhine, and Danube rivers also dropped below long-term averages, increasing pressure on water supplies, irrigation, river transport, ecosystems, and energy production.

Looking at the entire global surface—combining all continents, oceans, and polar regions—the temperature for July of this year tied with 2024 as the second highest on record.

The global average surface temperature for July of this year was 16.90°C (62°F), which was 1.47°C higher than the pre-industrial baseline (1850–1900).

The all-time record high global surface average temperature for July was 16.95°C (63°F) in 2023.

The January–July period of this year was the third hottest on record for the same period, following 2024 and 2025.