Western Europe experienced hottest June-July on record 

A family with umbrellas on a sandbar uncovered by receding water on the Danube River near Ilok, Croatia, earlier this month. Picture: Marko Perkov/AFP/Getty

Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July period on record, and July saw the third and fourth heatwaves since May, marking an exceptional run of extreme heat this summer.

That is according to the latest report from Copernicus, the Earth observation part of the EU’s space programme.