08/09/2021 (Agence Europe) – The June-August 2021 average temperature in Europe was almost 1°C above the 1991-2020 average, making it the warmest summer on record for the continent, the EU’s Copernicus programme said in a statement on 7 September. This summer was also marked by contrasting conditions across the European continent, with record high temperatures in the Mediterranean countries, warmer than average temperatures in the east and generally below average temperatures in the north. In Sicily, for example, the temperature reached 48.8°C during the heat wave that hit the south of the continent. If verified by the World Meteorological Organization, this will be the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe. Globally, August 2021 was the third warmest August on record (0.31°C above the 1991-2020 average), after August 2016 and August 2019. See the press release: https://bit.ly/3toarkg (DG)