Western Europe Records Hottest June and July as Severe Drought Grips Region
11 sources across 8 countries
Who reported this
- Der Spiegel
- Deutsche Welle
- Frankfurter Allgemeine
- The Guardian
- The Independent
- The Daily Star
- G1
- Le Monde
- South China Morning Post
- Philippine Daily Inquirer
- The Korea Herald
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
Western Europe experienced its hottest June and July on record, with average temperatures reaching 21.62C, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This extreme heat has triggered severe drought conditions across the continent, with 71.3 percent of England now officially in drought. In the United Kingdom, approximately 45 million people are affected, and 27 million are under water use restrictions. France and Switzerland also saw record wide ranging droughts in July, affecting 95 percent of mainland France and 99 percent of Switzerland. Experts warn that a fifth heatwave of the summer is imminent, with temperatures expected to reach the mid 30s Celsius in parts of the UK and 40C in France.
The environmental crisis has led to significant infrastructure and economic disruptions. In Germany, the Rhine River has reached historic lows, with water levels at Kaub dropping to around 16 centimeters. Industry groups warn that the river could become unnavigable, which would split commercial traffic in two and potentially reduce German industrial production. The German Economic Institute predicts a 0.4 percent drop in GDP due to these disruptions. Additionally, low water levels on the Danube have forced Hungary and Romania to consider shutting down nuclear plants that rely on the river for cooling.
Extreme weather has also fueled historic wildfires in France, Spain, and Greece, with over 500,000 hectares of land burning across Europe since the start of the year. Health agencies report thousands of excess deaths across Europe linked to previous heatwaves this season. Scientists attribute these intensifying extremes to human caused climate change and the influence of a powerful El Nino event in the Pacific.
Reporting on the event varies by political perspective. Center left outlets emphasize the systemic threat of the climate crisis, highlighting the need for adaptation and the vulnerability of historic sites and public health. Center right outlets focus more heavily on the specific economic costs, such as the distress of the chemical industry and the impact on GDP. Center outlets provide a broad synthesis of the meteorological data and the general regional impact.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- Framed the event as a climate crisis requiring urgent adaptation and highlighted the human and environmental toll.
- Centre
- Focused on the record breaking meteorological data and the general spread of heat and fire across Europe.
- Centre-right
- Emphasized the economic disruptions to industry and the resulting negative impact on national GDP.
Sources
- Centre-left Der Spiegel: Heatwave and climate crisis: England more than 70 percent affected by drought
- Centre Deutsche Welle: Why the Rhine drought is bad news for Germany's recovery
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: European Climate Data: The Hottest July in Human Memory
- Centre-right Frankfurter Allgemeine: Drought: Low water puts industry in distress
- Centre-left G1: Europe has hottest June and July months ever recorded, study says
- Centre-left Le Monde: Drought: an absolute record in France and Switzerland in July; nearly three quarters of England affected
- Centre Philippine Daily Inquirer: Europe braces for another summer heatwave
- Centre-right South China Morning Post: Drought declared in ‘almost three-quarters’ of England, government says
- Centre The Daily Star: Western Europe logs hottest June–July on record
- Centre-left The Guardian: Three-quarters of England in drought as summer’s fifth heatwave looms
- Centre-left The Independent: UK drought latest: 45 million people now in drought areas as expert warns conditions could get worse
- Centre-right The Korea Herald: Europe braces for another summer heat wave
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.