UK swelters in third heatwave of the year as western Europe counts cost of hottest-ever June

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>Britain expands heat alerts while estimates suggest last month’s death toll could surpass 20,000 across continent</p><p>The UK is sweltering through the peak of its third heatwave of the year as countries around Europe struggle to recover from an early onslaught of baking summer heat.</p><p>Punishing temperatures pushed higher by fossil fuel pollution have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/24/uk-records-hottest-june-day">broken records</a> across the continent in recent weeks. Western Europe experienced <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/09/western-europe-records-hottest-ever-june-as-heatwaves-intensify#:~:text=Western%20Europe%20has%20been%20scorched,wildfires%20ravage%20France%20and%20Spain.">its hottest June on record</a>, scientists confirmed on Thursday, accompanied by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/08/uk-waters-extreme-heatwave-global-sea-temperatures-record-climate-crisis">high global ocean temperatures</a> that could trigger “mass-mortality events” for some species.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/09/uk-swelters-third-heatwave-western-europe-counts-cost-hottest-ever-june">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.