Europe’s severe June heatwave ‘virtually impossible’ 50 years go, climate scientists say
Key takeaways
- Half-a-century ago, a similar heatwave would have been 3.5°C cooler, the study found.
- By: FRANCE 24 A man cools off at a public fountain near the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris during a heatwave, June 25, 2026.
- It would have been "virtually impossible" for such exceptional temperatures to occur in June fifty years ago, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Europe’s record heatwave in the month of June would have been "virtually impossible" 50 years ago, scientists said Friday, proof that human-caused climate change is "unequivocally" responsible for the intensity of the latest scorcher. Half-a-century ago, a similar heatwave would have been 3.5°C cooler, the study found.
By: FRANCE 24 A man cools off at a public fountain near the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris during a heatwave, June 25, 2026. © Ludovic Marin, AFP Human-caused climate change is "unequivocally" responsible for the intensity of a record-breaking heatwave scorching Europe, scientists said Friday.
It would have been "virtually impossible" for such exceptional temperatures to occur in June fifty years ago, the World Weather Attribution group of scientists said.