The Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Europe
Every European country ranked by its all-time record high — from Sicily's WMO-verified 48.8°C (119.8°F) to the UK breaking 40°C for the first time, down to Ireland at 33.3°C. Plus the 2026 heatwave rewriting the record books.
June 2026 — a record-breaking heatwave is gripping Europe right now
An exceptionally early heatwave swept the continent around the summer solstice, with temperatures 14–18°C above normal for late June. Andújar in southern Spain hit 45.1°C on June 22, France put 49 of 96 mainland departments under its top heat warning, and the UK recorded its hottest June day on record. National or monthly records fell in at least eight countries. Scientists said the event would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused warming — the same pattern that produced every record on this page.
The hottest temperature ever reliably recorded in continental Europe is 48.8°C (119.8°F), measured near Floridia in Sicily on August 11, 2021. The World Meteorological Organization spent three years verifying it — including independently calibrating the sensor — before confirming it in early 2024.
We compiled the all-time record high for every major European country from the WMO and national meteorological services. A few things stand out immediately. Every one of Europe's six 45°C-plus records sits around the Mediterranean. The United Kingdom only passed 40°C for the first time in 2022. And Ireland's all-time record — 33.3°C — was set in 1887 and still stands, a full 15°C below Sicily's.
For the US equivalent, see The Hottest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Every US State.
48.8°C: How Sicily Set the European Record
On August 11, 2021, an automated agro-meteorological station near Floridia, in the province of Syracuse on the southeastern coast of Sicily, registered 48.8°C. It came during “Lucifer,” an anticyclone that pulled a plume of Saharan air across the central Mediterranean.
Verifying a record like this is painstaking. The WMO's evaluation committee analysed the station's data and metadata, then had the temperature sensor independently tested and calibrated to confirm it met international standards. Only in early 2024 did the panel unanimously declare the reading valid — making it the highest temperature ever reliably measured anywhere in continental Europe, surpassing the 48.0°C that Athens and Elefsina, Greece had held since July 10, 1977.
Why The Mediterranean Bakes
Southern Italy, Greece, Spain, and Portugal sit directly downwind of the Sahara. When a high-pressure ridge stalls over the region, it pulls superheated desert air north over land that is already dry and sun-baked, with little moisture to evaporate and cool the air. The same geography that gives the Mediterranean its famous summers also makes it Europe's heat pole — and climate change is steadily raising the ceiling.
All-Time Record High for Every European Country
Ranked from hottest to coolest. Temperatures are shown in Celsius with Fahrenheit in the next column. Click any country to explore its weather history and major cities.
| # | Country | Record High | °F | Location | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ItalyAll-Europe record (WMO-verified) | 48.8°C | 120°F | Floridia, Sicily | 2021 |
| 2 | Greece | 48°C | 118°F | Athens & Elefsina | 1977 |
| 3 | Spain | 47.4°C | 117°F | Montoro | 2021 |
| 3 | Portugal | 47.4°C | 117°F | Amareleja | 2003 |
| 5 | France | 46°C | 115°F | Vérargues | 2019 |
| 6 | Russia (European) | 45.4°C | 114°F | Utta, Kalmykia | 2010 |
| 7 | Romania | 44.5°C | 112°F | Ion Sion | 1951 |
| 8 | Hungary | 41.9°C | 107°F | Kiskunhalas | 2007 |
| 9 | Belgium | 41.8°C | 107°F | Begijnendijk | 2019 |
| 10 | Switzerland | 41.5°C | 107°F | Grono | 2003 |
| 11 | Germany | 41.2°C | 106°F | Duisburg-Baerl & Tönisvorst | 2019 |
| 12 | Netherlands | 40.7°C | 105°F | Gilze-Rijen | 2019 |
| 13 | Austria | 40.5°C | 105°F | Bad Deutsch-Altenburg | 2013 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 40.4°C | 105°F | Dobřichovice | 2012 |
| 15 | United KingdomFirst UK reading over 40°C | 40.3°C | 105°F | Coningsby, Lincolnshire | 2022 |
| 16 | Poland | 40.2°C | 104°F | Prószków | 1921 |
| 17 | Sweden | 38°C | 100°F | Ultuna (1933) & Målilla (1947) | 1947 |
| 18 | Finland | 37.2°C | 99°F | Joensuu | 2010 |
| 19 | Denmark | 36.4°C | 98°F | Holstebro | 1975 |
| 20 | Norway | 35.6°C | 96°F | Nesbyen | 1970 |
| 21 | Ireland | 33.3°C | 92°F | Kilkenny Castle | 1887 |
Sources: World Meteorological Organization and national meteorological services. Italy's 48.8°C is also the all-Europe continental record. Some national records have alternative or provisional readings; the table uses the most widely accepted official values.
The UK's 40°C Barrier — Broken at Last in 2022
For decades, 40°C in Britain felt almost theoretical. The national record crept up slowly: 38.5°C at Faversham, Kent in August 2003, then 38.7°C at Cambridge Botanic Garden in July 2019. Then, on July 19, 2022, Coningsby in Lincolnshire reached 40.3°C (104.5°F) — the first time any UK station had ever passed 40°C, and a 1.6°C leap over the previous record.
What made it so striking was the breadth. Forty-six stations beat the old national record on the same day. Many long-running sites with 100-plus years of data logged their highest reading ever, some by margins of 3 to 4°C. Wales set a provisional record of 37.1°C at Hawarden Airport and Scotland reached 35.1°C at Floors Castle in the Borders. The Met Office estimated that a 40°C day in the UK had become about ten times more likely because of climate change.
The UK Record, Step by Step
- 38.5°C — Faversham, Kent — August 10, 2003
- 38.7°C — Cambridge Botanic Garden — July 25, 2019
- 40.3°C — Coningsby, Lincolnshire — July 19, 2022
The Most Extreme Heat Events in European History
Six moments that pushed European thermometers to their limits — from the deadly 2003 mega-heatwave to the record-breaking summer unfolding right now.
Greece Sets the First Modern Continental Record
Athens and the suburb of Elefsina hit 48.0°C on July 10, 1977 — a reading that stood as the official highest temperature in continental Europe for 44 years. Greece’s position at the southeastern edge of the continent, exposed to hot air drawn off North Africa and the Middle East, makes it one of Europe’s genuine heat poles.
The August 2003 Mega-Heatwave
The deadliest weather event in modern European history. An estimated 70,000 excess deaths occurred across the continent, more than 14,000 in France alone. Portugal hit 47.4°C at Amareleja and Switzerland set its national record of 41.5°C at Grono. The disaster permanently changed how European governments plan for heat — national heat-health warning systems date from this summer.
The Twin Heatwaves of June & July 2019
Two distinct heatwaves a month apart toppled national records across western Europe. France jumped to 46.0°C at Vérargues — nearly 2°C above its previous record. Germany (41.2°C), Belgium (41.8°C), and the Netherlands (40.7°C) all set all-time records within days of each other in late July, as Saharan air surged north.
Sicily’s 48.8°C — Europe’s Hottest Ever
An automated station near Floridia in Syracuse province, Sicily, recorded 48.8°C on August 11, 2021. After a three-year investigation — including sending the sensor for independent calibration — the World Meteorological Organization verified it in early 2024 as the highest temperature ever reliably recorded anywhere in continental Europe, beating the 1977 Greek record by 0.8°C.
The UK Breaks 40°C for the First Time
On July 19, 2022, Coningsby in Lincolnshire hit 40.3°C — the first time any UK station had ever passed 40°C, smashing the 2019 record of 38.7°C by a remarkable 1.6°C. Forty-six stations beat the old national record on a single day. Wales (37.1°C) and Scotland (35.1°C) also set provisional national records that week.
The June 2026 Solstice Heatwave
An exceptionally early and intense heatwave gripped Europe around the 2026 summer solstice, with temperatures running 14–18°C above normal for late June. Andújar in southern Spain hit 45.1°C on June 22, France placed 49 of 96 mainland departments under its top heat warning, and the UK logged its hottest June day on record. National or monthly records fell in at least eight countries. Scientists called the event “virtually impossible” without human-caused warming.
Record Highs by Region
The Mediterranean dominates, but even Scandinavia has hit 38°C. Europe's 15°C spread of national records is really a story about distance from the sea and the Sahara.
Mediterranean South
Europe’s undisputed heat pole. Sicily, southern Spain, Portugal’s Alentejo, and the Greek lowlands sit closest to North Africa and routinely draw scorching air off the Sahara. All six of Europe’s 45°C-plus national records belong to this band, topped by Sicily’s 48.8°C.
Western Europe
France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany set their all-time records during the 2019 Saharan plumes. The maritime climate normally caps summer heat, but when a “heat dome” blocks the Atlantic flow and pulls air from the south, records fall by extraordinary margins — France’s jumped almost 2°C in one day.
British Isles
Surrounded by cool seas, the UK and Ireland have Europe’s most moderated summers — yet the UK still broke 40°C for the first time in 2022. Ireland’s record of 33.3°C dates all the way back to 1887. These islands warm slowly, so when records fall they signal an unusually extreme pattern.
Central Europe
The Pannonian Basin and Central European lowlands — Hungary, Austria, Czechia, Poland — have a continental climate with hot, landlocked summers. Hungary leads at 41.9°C. With no ocean to moderate them, these countries swing between bitter winters and intense summer heat.
Eastern Europe & Russia
The 2010 Russian heatwave pushed Utta in Kalmykia to 45.4°C and killed an estimated 55,000 people around Moscow as peat fires choked the capital. Romania’s 44.5°C from 1951 still stands. The vast continental interior produces some of Europe’s most extreme summer heat away from any coast.
The Nordics
Even Scandinavia bakes. Sweden has twice hit 38.0°C (1933 and 1947) and Finland reached 37.2°C in 2010. With near-endless summer daylight at high latitudes, a stalled high-pressure system can drive surprising heat — Nordic countries have seen some of their hottest summers on record in the past decade.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the hottest temperature ever recorded in Europe?
48.8°C (119.8°F) near Floridia in Sicily, Italy on August 11, 2021. The WMO verified it in early 2024 after independently testing the sensor. It beat the 48.0°C that Athens and Elefsina, Greece had held since July 10, 1977.
What is the hottest temperature ever recorded in the UK?
40.3°C (104.5°F) at Coningsby, Lincolnshire on July 19, 2022 — the first UK reading ever above 40°C. It broke the 2019 record of 38.7°C by 1.6°C, and 46 stations beat the old record that same day.
Which European country has the highest temperature record?
Italy at 48.8°C (Sicily, 2021), then Greece at 48.0°C, Spain and Portugal at 47.4°C, and France at 46.0°C. Six countries have hit 45°C or higher.
How hot was the June 2026 European heatwave?
Temperatures ran 14–18°C above normal around the solstice. Andújar, Spain hit 45.1°C on June 22, France placed 49 of 96 mainland departments under its top heat alert, and the UK recorded its hottest June day ever. National or monthly records fell in at least eight countries, and scientists said the event would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming.
Data Sources & Methodology
Continental and national records are drawn from the World Meteorological Organization and national meteorological services including the UK Met Office, Météo-France, Germany's DWD, Spain's AEMET, and Portugal's IPMA. Figures are the most widely accepted official values; a handful of national records have provisional or disputed alternatives noted in the source agencies' records. Browse our country weather archives for daily history going back to 1970.