What do the numbers tell us about Europe's heatwave?

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record this years as prolonged periods of extreme heat pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels across multiple countries.

The impacts extended beyond discomfort, putting pressure on healthcare systems and damaging crops.

These four figures help indicate the scale of the heatwave across the region.

20.74: The average temperature

Western Europe recorded its hottest June since records began, with an average temperature of 20.74 degrees, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change service.

This average temperature was 3.06 degrees above the June average between 1991 and 2020, surpassing a previous record set in June 2025.

Across Europe as a whole, June was the second-warmest on record, with England and France recording their warmest June ever. For Germany, the month was its second warmest on record and set a new all-time national maximum temperature.

10,000: Excess heat deaths

More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded in the late-June heatwave, according to data from EuroMOMO, the European Mortality Monitor.

More than 9,000 of these deaths were among those aged 65 and over, with France alone recording at least 5,764 excess deaths.

France’s national public health agency said that the deaths amounted to 36% more than anticipated and the highest mortality rate recorded since the 2003 heatwave.

The high death toll has intensified scrutiny over France’s preparedness for extreme heat after sweeping reforms in 2003, which critics have argued have not gone far enough to shield the population from the worst impacts of extreme heat.

In late June, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a government crisis meeting to assess how the country could prepare for future heatwaves.

€2 billion: Projected hit to grain harvest

An analysis by the independent non-profit The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) estimated that the June heatwave could reduce the value of Europe’s grain harvest by around €2 billion.

France and Hungary accounted for almost three-quarters of estimated losses, with the French grain harvest revised down by 4.1 million tonnes, worth around €891 million, after extreme heat hit wheat and maize crops during their early development.

Hungary also suffered, losing an estimated 2.4 million tonnes of grain valued at €444 million.

Tom Lancaster, analyst at the ECIU, said that the heatwave came at a “terrible time for European cereals farmers, hitting crop development and reducing yields across the continent.”

“This will hit farmers in the pockets, reducing their income and undermining European food security at the same time,” he said.

The ECIU says that the losses are likely to make Europe more dependent on imports and could push up global commodity prices, depending on harvests in the Southern Hemisphere later this year.

3: Number of heatwaves in as many months

Scientists have warned that the June heatwave was not an isolated event.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service documented major heatwaves across Western in May, June and early July, with record sea surface temperatures helping to fuel extreme conditions.

A new heatwave is expected to hit Europe this week, sparking fire warnings in parts of southwestern France and northern Spain according to the European Forest Fire Information System. The UK and Portugal are also expecting to see temperatures climb.

The latest spell of high temperatures has helped spark wildfires across France and Spain, particularly in the regions outside the Spanish capital of Madrid, where officials warn the fires are the worst the region has ever suffered.

According to their European State of the Climate 2025 report, Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at around twice the global average.

It warned heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and occur later and earlier in the year as the climate continues to warm.

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