France, Oct. 2 -- Fuelled by climate change, Europe - the fastest-warming continent in the world - endured a succession of heatwaves that began unusually early in the year, breaking temperature records and contributing to tens of thousands of excess deaths.

"One of the things that stands out for 2026 is that the heat was not only remarkable for its intensity, but also for its geographical extent," said Samantha Burgess, climate lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), which operates Copernicus.

This year was Europe's third-warmest summer on record and the hottest ever recorded in western Europe, with several countries registering all-time temperature highs.

Four of Europe's 10 most intense heatwaves occur...