Albania experienced temperatures significantly above the climate average at the end of June, during a month that brought new heat records in Europe and globally.

A map published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and posted on the European Commission’s website shows that, during the period from June 18 to 30, 2026, average surface air temperatures in Albania were generally around 2°C to 4°C above the 1991–2020 average.

The anomaly was more pronounced in the northern and central parts of the Balkan region, while Greece and areas farther south recorded more limited deviations.

Although Albania was not among the continent’s most extreme areas, the map shows that the country was part of a broad heat belt stretching from the Iberian Peninsula and France, through Central Europe, to Eastern Europe.

According to Copernicus, June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in Western Europe and the second hottest globally.

The global average temperature reached 16.54°C, or 0.56°C above the 1991–2020 average and 1.39°C above the estimated level for the pre-industrial period of 1850–1900.

Western Europe up to 9°C above normal

The most severe conditions were recorded in Western Europe. During the second half of June, parts of France and Germany experienced average temperatures up to 9°C above the climate norm.

The Copernicus map shows France, the Benelux countries, Germany, Switzerland and parts of Central Europe in the darkest colors, indicating deviations of 7°C to 9°C above the 1991–2020 average.

The average temperature in Western Europe reached 20.74°C in June, 3.05°C above the monthly norm, surpassing even the record set just one year earlier, in June 2025.

Only Cyprus and Malta recorded temperatures close to normal levels, according to the European Commission.

In Spain and Portugal, temperatures were mostly 3°C to 6°C above average, while in some areas of the United Kingdom the deviation reached 5°C to 7°C.

Italy, the Adriatic countries and most of the Balkans were also affected by above-normal temperatures, but with less intensity than Western Europe. Across most of Italy, Croatia, Albania and Montenegro, the map shows deviations generally ranging from 2°C to 4°C.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the belt of high temperatures extended across Poland, the Baltic countries, Ukraine and western Russia, where anomalies reached 5°C to 7°C in some areas.

Copernicus reported that the average temperature over European land in June was the second highest ever recorded for the month. The heat was also accompanied by the highest global sea surface temperatures ever recorded for a June.

Drought and wildfire risk

The high temperatures were accompanied by drier conditions in parts of Europe, increasing the risk of wildfires in forests and grasslands. Copernicus estimates that drought contributed to the spread of fires in Europe, North America and Russia during the month.

For Albania, the above-normal temperatures at the end of June coincided with the start of the wildfire season, when a lack of rainfall, dry vegetation and winds can accelerate the spread of flames.

The new data confirm that heatwaves are occurring earlier, lasting longer and affecting increasingly large areas of the continent. Copernicus warns that the continued accumulation of heat in the climate system is increasing the intensity of heatwaves and the risks to health, ecosystems and infrastructure. /Monitor

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