Scientists reported on Friday that a record June heatwave across Europe would have been virtually impossible without human‑caused climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution group. The study examined temperature data from nearly 850 European cities and compared the 2026 event with historical records from 1976 and 2003. Europe has warmed about 1.4 °C above pre‑industrial levels, driven largely by fossil fuel emissions. The study found that daytime temperatures in June 1976 would have been about 3.5 °C lower than in 2026, and that a comparable event in June 2003 would have been roughly 2 °C cooler. Overnight temperatures in 2003 would have been more than 100 times less likely, the authors said. Theodore Keeping, lead author from Imperial College London, said the heatwave would not have occurred without climate change. Friederike Otto, co‑founder of World Weather Attribution, noted that the weather pattern itself was typical but the high temperatures made the event unusually hazardous. The analysis covered nearly 850 cities, and 45 % of them recorded or were projected to record all‑time heat‑stress thresholds in June. Heat stress, which occurs when the body’s cooling mechanisms are overwhelmed, can range from dizziness to organ failure. The June heatwave follows an earlier May heatwave that brought temperatures more typical of high summer to central and western Europe. The authors emphasized that rapid reduction of fossil‑fuel emissions is critical to limit future temperature rise. While the study attributes the event unequivocally to human‑driven climate change, the speed of future heatwave frequency remains a subject of ongoing research.