Last month was the planet’s third-warmest July since records began, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. The agency said the average global surface air temperature reached 16.68 °C, or 0.45 °C above the 1991-2020 norm. Over the 12-month period to July the anomaly versus pre-industrial levels widened to 1.53 °C, breaching the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C ceiling on a provisional basis. Turkey logged an all-time national high of 50.5 °C during the month. The persistent heat is driving fresh weather alerts. Météo-France placed 11 southern departments under orange vigilance for Friday, warning of temperatures that could touch 39 °C in the Tarn and 37 °C around Lyon. French forecasters expect the second heatwave of the summer to strengthen through the weekend. Across the Channel, the UK Met Office said thermometers may climb into the low- to mid-30s °C in central and southern England early next week after a mixed spell of showers and sunshine. Elsewhere in Europe, Spain’s capital Madrid and large parts of the Mediterranean are bracing for another surge in temperatures, while EU scientists warn that drought conditions are intensifying. In North America, a high-pressure dome over the US Southwest is forecast to push Phoenix toward record highs and keep about 7.5 million people under excessive-heat warnings. The US National Weather Service also issued a Heat Advisory for Texas and Oklahoma, where indices are expected to reach 100–110 °F. Strain on infrastructure is already evident. The US Energy Information Administration said nationwide electricity demand set all-time highs twice in late July, peaking at 759,180 MW on 29 July, as households and businesses cranked up air-conditioning. Scientists and grid operators warn that similar spikes are likely if temperatures continue to track above historical norms.