After a blistering heat wave boosted by climate change, Europe just notched its hottest June on record

Europe just went through its hottest June on record, punctuated by a historic heat wave in the final week. Climate change played a role by making the heat wave considerably stronger and more likely to occur than in the past, according to scientists who analyzed the event.

Numerous European countries, including Germany and Austria, posted their highest average temperatures for the month of June. The scorching late-June heat wave that was focused over western and central Europe followed a consistently hot month across much of the continent.

“Average temperatures were more than 2 Celsius [3.6 degrees Fahrenheit] above normal and it has become the hottest June ever recorded,” the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Copernicus program announced Tuesday.