Overview

• Sea surface temperatures in the western Mediterranean remain 3–6 °C above the 1982–2023 average following readings more than 5 °C above normal on June 22.
• Spain confirmed its hottest June on record and England reported its warmest since records began in 1884, with many cities exceeding 40 °C in early July.
• Heat-health alerts led Italy to ban outdoor work during peak hours, France to close over 1 300 schools and Paris’s Eiffel Tower summit to shut until Thursday.
• Turkish fire services continue to battle wildfires that have forced roughly 50 000 residents near Izmir to evacuate.
• Scientists warn that sustained marine heat and unprecedented land temperatures jeopardize marine species reproduction, agricultural yields and water security.