Heat exposes half of Europeans to high ozone levels
Copernicus links high exposure to heatwaves, wildfires and polluting precursors.
Around half of Europe’s population was exposed in 2026 to poor, very poor or extremely poor ozone levels, reports the European air quality service Copernicus. This concerns ground-level ozone, not the ozone hole above Antarctica.
The estimate appears in a new analysis by the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, covering the first eight months of 2026. According to the analysis, Europe saw particularly high exposure during the heatwaves from June to August. Southern Europe, including parts of Italy, Spain and Greece, fared relatively poorly.
Ground-level ozone does not emerge directly from an exhaust pipe. It is a secondary pollutant formed from, among other things, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, under the influence of sunlight and high temperatures. As a result, concentrations can rise on days when the air otherwise appears clear.
The analysis uses a combination of satellite observations, ground-level measurements and air quality models. This makes the findings suitable for describing patterns across large areas, but not for establishing exact exposure for every individual street or person.
Wildfires can exacerbate the problem. Smoke contains various substances that worsen air quality and can be carried across national borders by the wind. Ozone itself and its chemical precursors can also travel over long distances. The place where pollution is measured is therefore not always the place where the emissions began.
The finding is separate from the state of the stratospheric ozone layer. That layer protects against ultraviolet radiation and is the layer people often mean when they refer to the ozone hole. The new Copernicus analysis concerns tropospheric ozone: pollution in the lower atmosphere that people breathe in.
European air quality has improved for some other pollutants as a result of stricter emissions rules. For ozone, the picture is more complicated, because lower precursor emissions do not immediately lead to lower ozone concentrations everywhere. The chemistry differs by region, and weather conditions also partly determine how substances react.
The policy choice therefore does not lie in a single measure. Lower emissions from transport, industry and solvents can reduce the amount of precursors, while heat and wildfires are more difficult to control directly. The Copernicus analysis is a measurement and model-based estimate of exposure, not an individual diagnosis of health effects.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Copernicus reports high ozone exposure in Europe in 2026.
- The analysis uses satellite data, ground-level measurements and models.
- Ground-level ozone differs from the ozone hole in the stratosphere.
Left
Arguments The figures show that air quality and climate policy must be tackled together. Faster emissions cuts, less car traffic and robust standards are needed to limit health risks.
Values Public health, environmental justice and prevention.
Consequences Stricter policy may require costs and behavioural change, but according to this approach it reduces structural exposure.
Centre
Arguments Policy must be based on reliable measurements, regional differences and proven measures. European cooperation is needed because pollution travels across borders.
Values Effectiveness, proportionality and administrative cooperation.
Consequences A combination of emissions rules, warnings and monitoring is likely to achieve more than a single generic measure.
Right
Arguments The government should focus on affordable measures with demonstrable effects and leave room for innovation. General restrictions on mobility or industry could harm the economy.
Values Affordability, economic freedom and technological innovation.
Consequences A more cautious approach keeps costs lower, but critics say it could keep exposure high for longer.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
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The text follows the Copernicus analysis and explicitly distinguishes between ground-level ozone and the stratospheric ozone layer. The 50 per cent estimate used is described as an analytical finding, not an individual measurement.
- confirmed Around half of Europe’s population was exposed in 2026 to poor to extremely poor ozone levels. — Reported on the Copernicus analysis by Euronews. source
- confirmed The analysis covers the first eight months of 2026. — Description of the analysis in independent reporting. source
- confirmed Ground-level ozone forms from precursors under the influence of sunlight and heat. — General explanation by CAMS of air quality pollution. source
Editor's note
The 50 per cent estimate comes from the Copernicus analysis as described by Euronews. The analysis combines observations and models; the text makes no statement about individual health risks.Sources
- A new Copernicus analysis shows ozone pollution affected half of Europe's population — Euronews
- CAMS Air Quality Data – Quality Assured — Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service
- Accumulated excess of ozone concentration — European Environment Agency
- Wildfires, heat waves threaten to undermine air quality — Reuters
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „ozon luchtkwaliteit”
- NU.nl — „ozon luchtkwaliteit”
- De Telegraaf — „ozon luchtkwaliteit”