2026 saw four of the ten most severe heatwaves which affected western Europe since 1950
The size of a circle is proportional to the area affected by the corresponding heatwave. Select one to find out more information.
Heatwaves are defined as periods when the maximum temperature exceeded the 98th percentile of the 1961–1990 reference period and exceeded 28°C for a period of three or more days. Only heatwaves covering at least 20% of the selected region are considered. The ranking is based on the cumulative anomaly, taking into account the heatwave’s area, intensity, and duration. Data are for western Europe (11ºW–15ºE, 37–55ºN).
