A timelapse video has revealed just how long–lasting Europe’s scorching summer has been.
Created using data from NASA‘s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), the timelapse shows the daily maximum surface air temperature across Western Europe from 1 May to 19 August.
The darkest areas on the map indicate temperatures that met or exceeded 40°C (104°).
As the timelapse progresses, the dark red areas become more and more widespread across the continent.
‘Western Europe got its first hint of an unusual summer in May 2026, when a heat dome produced exceptional temperatures that shattered records in several countries,’ NASA explained.
‘Remarkable as it was, that early heat wave turned out to be only the opening salvo.
‘By mid–August, Europeans were sweating through their fifth heat wave of the season, with the latest onslaught pushing temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across a broad area.
‘During these bouts of extreme weather, high temperatures were often unrelenting, persisting for several days and sometimes weeks on end, and remaining overnight.’
Created using data from NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS), the timelapse shows the daily maximum surface air temperature across Western Europe from 1 May to 19 August
The timelapse starts on 1 May, at which point only small patches of the map are even light orange
The timelapse – which you can view here – starts on 1 May, at which point only small patches of the map are even light orange.
However, by 22 May, you can see huge parts of the continent – including Portugal, Spain and Ukraine – darkening in colour.
Fast–forward to mid–June, and several countries are dark red on the map, indicating temperatures of at least 40°C (104°).
Over the entire summer, heat records have been broken across the continent.
Back in May, temperatures in the UK hit 35.1°C (95.2°F), smashing the previous May record by a staggering 2.3°C (4.1°F).
In June, Bordeaux, France, broke its maximum–temperature record on three consecutive days, hitting 42.5°C.
By August, Slovakia set a new national records for both daytime and nighttime highs.
These scorching temperatures have taken their toll on people, animals, landscapes and infrastructure.
Greece, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Croatia have all been hit by wildfires that have displaced thousands of people. Pictured: a fire in Belgium on August 15
Greece, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Croatia have all been hit by wildfires that have displaced thousands of people.
Last week, a blaze spread rapidly across the Hautes Fagnes natural park in eastern Belgium, near the border with Germany.
It is the biggest fire on record for the nation, surpassing a blaze in 2011 that burned nearly 1,400 hectares, data from the European Forest Fire Information System showed.
Meanwhile, hundreds were evacuated from a beach resort in northern Greece and from a village in southwest France.
Likewise, the UK has now seen its worst fire season on record, with firefighters responding to over 1,132 blazes across the UK.
Preliminary reports suggest that heat may have been associated with as many as 10,000 excess deaths, including thousands of people in the UK, France, Germany, and Belgium.
‘For a region accustomed to relatively mild summers, the heat upended everyday life. Hospitalizations and heat–related deaths spiked,’ NASA said.
‘Highways and train tracks buckled, forcing road closures and service disruptions.
Fast–forward to mid–June, and several countries are dark red on the map, indicating temperatures of at least 40°C (104°)
‘Large and destructive wildfires raged in areas where they were once rarely seen.
‘The heat also worsened the severe drought that has gripped the region for months, contributing to record–low river water levels and disrupting water and power supplies, transportation routes, and agriculture.’
Worryingly, scientists predict that future summers will be even hotter and drier, thanks to climate change.
