unsaveSave
expand-left
full screen A woman on a park bench in Milan, Italy this summer. Europe experienced its hottest summer so far this year, according to the climate service Copernicus. Photo: Luca Bruno/AP/TT
It was an extremely hot summer in parts of Europe this year, according to the EU’s climate service Copernicus.
In south-eastern Europe, parts of the population suffered from 66 days of severe heat stress, which means temperatures experienced as above 32 degrees. So many days of heat stress have never before been measured in the region, where a normal summer usually offers 29 days of strong heat stress.
High temperatures are especially dangerous for the elderly and weak, who are at risk of dying as a result of the heat.
“Europe experienced its hottest summer on record in 2024. The extreme temperatures in regions such as south-eastern Europe are affecting the well-being of Europeans, as residents of this region are experiencing more heat stress than ever before,” said Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director of Copernicus.
The Mediterranean Sea was also record warm, with a peak of 28.45 degrees in surface temperature in the catchment area on 13 August.