Western Europe records its warmest September ever
Copernicus reports exceptional warmth, drought and low river flows across large parts of Europe.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
_012.JPG){kind=link}
September 2026 was the warmest September in Western Europe since records began, the European climate service Copernicus reports. At the same time, large parts of the continent remained exceptionally dry, and several rivers reached record-low levels for September.
According to Copernicus, the average temperature in Western Europe was 2.51 degrees higher than the 1991–2020 average. This made September a joint record with September 2023. For Europe as a whole, it was the third-warmest September in the record.
The figures come from the ERA5 dataset, a reanalysis combining measurements and weather models. This is therefore not about a single thermometer or a single country, but a calculated average temperature for a region. Worldwide, September was the second-warmest September ever according to the same dataset.
The drought also affected water levels. Copernicus reports record-low September flows in parts of the Rhine, Danube and Vistula, and in the Garonne and Dordogne basins. Low river flows can hinder shipping and put pressure on water availability and agriculture, but the effects vary greatly between rivers and regions.
In northern and north-eastern Europe, more precipitation than average fell instead. Copernicus also reports that rain at the end of the month brought local relief to dry areas. In parts of France and Spain, that precipitation in turn led to flooding, according to the service. Drought and flooding can therefore occur alongside each other in the same month.
The new figures describe conditions in September and are not a forecast for the coming weeks. Copernicus does report that sea temperatures outside the polar regions reached a September record and that El Niño in the tropical Pacific strengthened further. How long the effects on rivers, agriculture and water management will last depends on the precipitation ahead and regional soil and groundwater levels.
For European governments, the report makes the question of how to divide water between nature, agriculture, shipping and drinking-water supply concrete once again. The measurements do not say which political choice should be made. They do show that exceptional warmth and low river flows occurred simultaneously across several river basins.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- On 12 October, Copernicus reported exceptionally high temperatures and low river flows in September 2026.
- The temperature figures are regional averages; river flows are partly based on model and reanalysis data.
- Drought, water availability, shipping and agriculture affect different interests within the same river basins.
Left
Arguments Emphasises rapid emissions reductions and public investment in water conservation, nature restoration and climate adaptation. Water should be treated less as an unlimited factor of production for agriculture and industry.
Values Collective responsibility, ecological limits and protection of vulnerable communities.
Consequences Fears that delay will lead to higher public costs, damage to ecosystems and greater inequality between regions.
Centre
Arguments Places the emphasis on reliable measurements, cross-border river management and a combination of adaptation, innovation and gradual emissions reductions. Decisions should be taken at river-basin level.
Values Institutional cooperation, practicality and a balance between the economy, nature and drinking water.
Consequences Fears both rushed investment based on a single exceptional season and action that comes too late in response to a structural trend.
Right
Arguments Emphasises affordability, food production and the scope for businesses and farmers to adapt without a major new regulatory burden. Sees technical solutions, storage and infrastructure as more important than general restrictions.
Values Property, economic freedom, national control and continuity of production.
Consequences Fears that climate policy will make energy, food and transport more expensive, and that European rules take insufficient account of regional differences.
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
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key figures, measurement period and datasets used correspond to Copernicus’s current publication. The text distinguishes between measured or reanalysed conditions and political consequences.
- confirmed September 2026 was the joint-warmest September ever in Western Europe. — Copernicus names September 2026 and September 2023 jointly as the warmest Septembers for Western Europe. source
- confirmed The average temperature was 2.51 degrees above the 1991–2020 average. — This appears in Copernicus’s European temperature highlights. source
- confirmed In parts of the Rhine, Danube, Vistula and Garonne–Dordogne, river flows were record-low for September. — Copernicus explicitly names these river basins. source
- confirmed The figures are based on ERA5 and Copernicus hydrological datasets. — The source describes ERA5 for temperature and EFAS data for hydrological variables. source
Editor's note
The temperature and river-flow figures from the Copernicus dataset are certain. River flows are partly based on EFAS simulations; local effects and the duration of the drought are not the same across Europe.Sources
- Copernicus: Second warmest September as global temperatures stay above 1.5°C — Copernicus Climate Change Service
- September 2026 Second-Warmest On Record As Global Temperatures Remain Above 1.5 Degrees — Bernama
More on this in Dutch media
- NOS — „klimaat droogte”
- Het Parool — „klimaat droogte”
- de Volkskrant — „klimaat droogte”