1.3 billion people suffered the impacts of the hottest summer

More than 1.3 billion people experienced the repercussions of the hottest summer season on record in the Northern Hemisphere between June and August 2026, ranging from heatwaves in Europe to toxic smoke in Indonesia and crop droughts in Sudan, according to an analysis by Agence France-Presse (AFP) based on data from the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.

A detailed analysis of billions of data points from the ERA5 model of the Copernicus Climate Change Service revealed that 52 countries across various continents broke their all-time high temperature records throughout the summer season in the Northern Hemisphere.

In some countries, such as France and the United Kingdom, meteorological agencies reported exceeding unprecedented thresholds, noting that many nations with limited capacities do not publish detailed climate data.

The natural climate phenomenon known as El Niño reached levels significantly higher than previously recorded and is expected to peak by the end of the current year. This phenomenon has begun causing substantial temperature increases in Central America and northern South America. From Honduras to Peru and the Guiana Highlands, nine countries experienced their hottest summer on record in 2026.