Never before have so many people in France been forced to leave their homes due to wildfires. The number of heat-related deaths in Europe had already reached 10,000 by June. Large parts of Europe are suffering from extreme drought and its associated consequences. The July data from the Copernicus Climate Bulletin, published by the European weather service, illustrates what we are experiencing firsthand. Air temperatures in Western Europe were higher than ever before during the period from June to July, and global sea surface temperatures also reached record highs in July.

Here is an overview of the key figures:

• July 2026 was the second-warmest July on record worldwide, tied with July 2024.
• Western Europe recorded its warmest June–July period since records began.
• The sea surface temperature over the oceans outside the polar regions was the highest ever recorded in July, due in part to developing El Niño conditions in the equatorial Pacific.
• In July 2026, Arctic sea ice extent was the sixth lowest on record for that month, with sea ice coverage in the northern Barents Sea—around Spitsbergen and Franz Josef Land—being particularly low.
• The extent of Antarctic sea ice in July was the fifth lowest on record, with sea ice coverage below average in most ocean regions, with the exception of the Amundsen Sea.

Dry Conditions and Drought

In July 2026, above-average dry conditions prevailed across much of Western Europe as well as large parts of Central and Eastern Europe, particularly on the Iberian Peninsula, in France, Germany, Austria, and Hungary; England, Wales, Ireland, the Benelux countries, and Iceland were also affected.

These dry conditions, which had already set in during the spring in some regions, led to persistent, stable, and critical drought conditions across much of Europe and, according to the European Drought Observatory, contributed to these conditions worsening further in Central and Western Europe through mid-July. In the ERA5 land dataset, average soil moisture values in Western Europe were significantly lower than those in July 2022, the last summer in which severe drought prevailed throughout Western Europe.

River levels in large parts of the arid regions fell well below average or were extremely low, which had an impact on numerous sectors.

Europe's Rivers Are Running Dry

Forest fires and crop failures

These conditions had a negative impact on agriculture—massive crop failures are being reported in many places—and contributed to an unusually high level of wildfire activity in Western Europe, fueled by an abundance of dry biomass following a wet winter and an early spring that promoted plant growth, as well as by the subsequent summer drought. In France, fires in the Gironde region destroyed nearly 42,000 ha—the largest area ever recorded for France in the European Forest Fire Information System of the Copernicus Civil Protection Service.

Spain also experienced numerous fires, particularly in the central and eastern regions. According to the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, daily emissions from wildfires in France on July 24 reached a level that was likely a record for this time of year. By the end of July, the total annual amount was already the highest on record for this time of year, while for Spain it ranked second, behind 2022.

A Wide Gap Between the West and the East

The average temperature over continental Europe in July 2026 was 20.49 °C, which is 0.66 °C above the 1991–2020 average, making this July the eleventh-warmest July on record in the ERA5 dataset.

This relatively low ranking followed the second-warmest June on record in Europe and reflected a stark regional contrast: The significantly above-average temperatures in Western Europe were partially offset by below-average temperatures in large parts of Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.

As was already the case in June, temperatures in France, Germany, northeastern Spain, England, Switzerland, and western Italy were well above average, generally by 3–5 °C.
The warm weather was due to the heat wave that hit the region in the first half of July and again toward the end of the month.

According to national data, France recorded its warmest July on record, and Spain recorded its second-warmest. Preliminary statistics for the United Kingdom indicate that July 2026 was the second-warmest nationwide, the warmest in Wales, and the second-warmest in England.

The regional differences in July were related to a high-pressure system northwest of Great Britain and Ireland. Warm air from North Africa flowed northward along its western flank, while cooler polar air flowed southward along its eastern flank. In June, the center of the high-pressure system was further east, over France.

Outside Europe, drier-than-average conditions prevailed in parts of northern Canada, the central United States, the Maghreb, parts of the Horn of Africa, Siberia, South and Central Asia, parts of inland China, and parts of Argentina, Uruguay, and Bolivia.

Link

Copernicus Climate Bulletin, July 2026

A solar eclipse is a breathtaking natural phenomenon. For Europe’s power grid operators, however, it has also become an extraordinary stress test.

With the massive expansion of photovoltaics, an ever-increasing portion of Europe’s electricity production now depends directly on solar radiation. If the sun is partially obscured during an eclipse, solar power production drops within a short time—and then rises again just as quickly.

Billions of watts disappear within a few minutes

During a solar eclipse, solar power generation can drop significantly in the regions of Europe that are most affected. Across Europe, several gigawatts of solar power can be removed from the power grid within a short period of time.

For comparison: One gigawatt is equal to one billion watts.

The challenge here is not so much the overall lack of energy as the pace of change.

The power grid must remain in balance at all times. Generation and consumption must match almost to the second.

Storage is becoming increasingly important

This is exactly where we see why battery storage is becoming increasingly important for an electricity system with a high share of renewable energy.

If solar power generation drops suddenly, storage systems can supply energy to the grid within a very short time. When the sun returns and generation rises sharply again, they can absorb the excess energy.

In addition, hydropower, flexible power plants, controllable loads, and cross-border electricity trade help to balance out fluctuations.

Europe has a decisive advantage in this regard: the national power grids are interconnected to form a large, integrated grid. This allows energy to be balanced across national borders.

The solar boom is transforming the electricity system

A few decades ago, a solar eclipse had virtually no impact on the power supply.

Today, things are different.

Photovoltaics has now become one of the most important sources of new electricity generation in Europe. As a result, weather, clouds—and even astronomical events—have become factors that grid operators must take into account.

At the same time, solar eclipses are perfectly predictable. Grid operators know well in advance when solar output will drop and can plan for the necessary reserves.

Facts & Figures

1 gigawatt = 1 billion watts

During a solar eclipse, solar power output can change significantly within just a few minutes.

Battery storage systems can respond to fluctuations in the power grid within seconds.

European power grid: Electricity can be exchanged between countries to balance out regional fluctuations.

Conclusio

The solar eclipse is a prime example of just how much our energy system has changed.

The greater the share of wind and solar energy becomes, the more important storage, smart grids, and flexible consumers will become.

The energy transition, therefore, does not simply mean producing more and more renewable electricity.

The real challenge is making this electricity available exactly when it's needed.