 "The burning Earth: From Japan to Spain, and Pakistan to Nigeria, June hottest ever in 12 countries")
In an alarming development, a new analysis published by news agency AFP has revealed that the month of June was the hottest month ever recorded in a dozen nations this year, spanning from Japan in the east to Spain in Europe. Along with that, the temperature in 26 other nations remained “exceptionally warm,” the analysis based on data from the European monitor Copernicus has revealed.
The increased temperatures affected nearly 800 million people across these nations, mostly in Europe, Asia and Africa.
The month was second-hottest for other nations, including Britain, China, France, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.
Europe
A late June heatwave baked western and southern Europe, with scorching temperatures hitting Paris, Belgium, and the Netherlands—regions unaccustomed to such heat.
About 15 countries, including Switzerland, Italy, and all Balkan nations, saw temperatures 3°C above the 1981–2010 June average.
Spain, Bosnia, and Montenegro recorded their hottest June ever.
Asia
Japan also endured its hottest June since records began in 1898, with 14 cities logging record highs.
Coastal waters were 1.2°C warmer than usual, tying with June 2024 as the warmest since 1982, according to Japan’s weather agency on July 1.
Last year, Japan’s summer matched 2023 as the hottest on record, followed by the warmest autumn in 126 years.
Warmer climates are causing Japan’s cherry trees to bloom earlier or fail to fully blossom due to insufficiently cold autumns and winters, experts say.
South Korea and North Korea also recorded their warmest June ever, with temperatures 2°C above average.
In China, 102 weather stations reported their hottest June day, some exceeding 40°C, per state media.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPakistan (250 million people) and Tajikistan (10 million people) hit record June highs. This followed an exceptionally hot spring in Central Asia, with Pakistan, Tajikistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan experiencing their warmest April–June on record.
Africa
In Nigeria, the world’s sixth most populous nation with 230 million people, June temperatures matched the record highs set in 2024.
Central and eastern Africa also faced extreme heat, with June marking the second hottest month on record after 2024 in the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia.
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