Record-Breaking June Heat Grips Europe, Asia, And Africa

An estimated 790 million people across Europe, Asia, and Africa experienced their hottest June on record this year. Twelve countries, ranging from Nigeria to Japan and Pakistan to Spain, witnessed exceptionally warm temperatures last month, according to AFP analysis of data from the European monitor Copernicus.

An additional 26 countries, including China, France, and Britain, reported their second-hottest June ever recorded. Weather experts attributed the extreme heat to the intensifying effects of global warming. In Europe, countries such as France, Belgium, and the Netherlands experienced early summer heat waves, while 15 nations saw a rise of three degrees Celsius above the normal June average.

Similar records were also observed across Asia, where Japan surpassed its previous hottest June, and North Korea and South Korea saw temperatures rise 2 degrees Celsius above average. In China, parts of the country exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, while Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan experienced their warmest spring ever recorded.

In Africa, Nigeria experienced record-breaking heat in June. Meanwhile, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia registered their second-hottest June, just behind 2024. The UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) had previously warned in May that such extreme weather could intensify hunger, insecurity, and displacement in vulnerable regions of Africa.