One of the most extreme summers in recent years unfolded across Europe in 2026 — a season defined by scorching temperatures, prolonged heat domes, and devastating wildfires. A striking timelapse video released by NASA vividly illustrates the scale and duration of this relentless heatwave, showing how surface air temperatures across Western Europe surged above 40°C over a span of more than three months.
NASA’s Visual Evidence of a Warming Continent
The animation was produced using data from NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) model and tracks daily maximum surface air temperatures from 1 May to 19 August 2026. In the visualization, deep red and near-black zones indicate areas where temperatures reached or exceeded 40°C. As the timelapse progresses, those intense heat signatures rapidly expand — first appearing in isolated pockets in early May, then engulfing large swaths of the continent by late May and June.
According to NASA, Western Europe experienced its first sign of an unusually severe summer as early as May 2026, when a powerful heat dome triggered record-breaking temperatures across multiple countries. ‘As remarkable as that early heatwave was, it proved to be only the opening salvo,’ the agency noted — underscoring how the initial surge was followed by four more major heatwaves before mid-August, culminating in the fifth and most intense episode of the season.
Record-Breaking Temperatures Across the Continent
Throughout the summer, extreme heat persisted with little respite — often lasting for days or even weeks at a time, and remaining high even overnight. In May, the UK recorded a new national May temperature record of 35.1°C — surpassing the previous high by 2.3°C. By June, Bordeaux in France logged 42.5°C for three consecutive days, breaking its all-time maximum temperature record. In August, Slovakia set new national records for both daytime and nighttime highs.
Other countries also saw historic extremes: Portugal, Spain, Ukraine, Belgium, Croatia, and Greece all registered unprecedented heat levels — many coinciding with explosive wildfire outbreaks.
Wildfires and Human Impact
The soaring temperatures have had far-reaching consequences — affecting human health, wildlife, ecosystems, infrastructure, and agriculture. Wildfires ravaged large parts of southern and central Europe. Greece, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, and Croatia all reported major blazes that displaced thousands of residents.
Just last week, a fast-moving wildfire swept through the Hautes Fagnes natural park in eastern Belgium, near the German border. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), it became the largest wildfire ever recorded in the country — exceeding the previous record set in 2011, which burned nearly 1,400 hectares.