Nearly 900 million people across 33 countries experienced record-breaking temperatures during July, according to an analysis of climate data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The affected regions included parts of the African Sahel, Central America, and several European countries, including France and Spain, where extreme heat and unusually dry conditions intensified concerns over climate change.

Data analyzed by Copernicus showed that July ranked among the hottest months ever recorded globally, with average surface air temperatures remaining well above pre-industrial levels. Scientists reported that global temperatures were approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius higher than the 1850–1900 average, a benchmark commonly used to measure long-term warming.

Western Europe also faced significant soil moisture deficits, increasing the risk of drought and wildfires across the region.

In France, large wildfires swept through tens of thousands of hectares in the Gironde region during late July, prompting the evacuation of more than 200,000 people. Around the same period, major fires in Spain’s Avila province, near Madrid, destroyed vast areas of forest and damaged infrastructure.

Europe continues to warm faster than any other continent, according to climate researchers. The first two months of the summer season were marked by repeated heatwaves and prolonged dry spells across several countries.

Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said the planet has experienced a succession of exceptionally warm years, with recent temperatures reaching levels not witnessed in modern human history.

Scientists attribute the long-term warming trend primarily to greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activity. These emissions trap heat in the atmosphere, driving global temperature increases and contributing to more frequent and intense extreme weather events.

Researchers note that the world’s oceans absorb much of the excess heat produced by climate change, helping regulate global temperatures. However, warmer ocean waters can also intensify storms, increase heavy rainfall events and contribute to the degradation of coral reef ecosystems.

Copernicus compiles its assessments using billions of observations collected from satellites, weather stations, ships, aircraft and other monitoring systems. Its climate records extend back to 1940 and are widely used by scientists and policymakers to track global climate trends.