An Irishman has been jailed for just 14 years for brutally killing an American tourist during sex and dumping her body in the woods.

Mackenzie Elizabeth Michalski, 31, a nurse from Portland, Oregon, went missing while on holiday in Hungary in November 2024.

The defendant, identified only by his initials LTM thanks to Hungarian anonymity laws, invited Michalski to his apartment for sex after meeting her in a Budapest nightclub.

He then tied her up, bashed, and strangled her before attempting to conceal the murder by hiding her body in his closet.

After killing Michalski, the man, then aged 37, cleaned the apartment, stuffed her body into a freshly bought suitcase and drove it about 90 miles southwest in a rented car to Lake Balaton where he hid it in nearby woods.

The Budapest-Capital Regional Court found the man guilty of murder, and on Wednesday sentenced him to 14 years in prison without parole. 

‘The defendant did not attempt to resuscitate the deceased, nor did he call for help; according to the court’s findings, he intended the outcome of his actions, that is, the victim’s death,’ the court said in a statement.

The young woman’s autopsy found she was choked for two to three minutes and also suffered blunt force trauma to her head. Her mother told the court that Michalski’s face was unrecognizable when she saw it.

Michalski (far right) with her parents Jill and Bill, and brother Nikk

Michalski in the elevator with LTM inside his apartment building after they left the nightclub together – the last time she was seen alive

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Police found disturbing video of Michalski’s body, naked and still tied up, on her killer’s phone.

They also seized a ‘spy pen’ he owned that, along with more twisted evidence of his crime, had footage of him approaching numerous women in Budapest.

Michalski was reported missing on November 5, 2024, by friends after she never checked out of their Airbnb and missed her flight back to the US.

Hungarian police investigating her disappearance soon found security footage of her leaving the Szimpla Kert nightclub with LTM.

Investigators said his internet search history included queries on whether pigs eat dead bodies, the presence of wild boars around Lake Balaton and the reliability of Budapest police.

They included ‘Do pigs really eat dead bodies?’ and ‘Texas woman killed by a wild boar’.

Other searches asked ‘what does a dead body smell like after it decomposes’ and how to ‘remove rotting meat smell’.

LTM also searched ‘how reliable is the police in Budapest’ and ‘how do the police handle missing person cases?’.

Michalski was reported missing on November 5, 2024, by friends after she never checked out of their Airbnb and missed her flight back to the US

Michalski was a frequent travel and posted photos of herself all over the world on social media

LTM’s defense petitioned the court to exhume her body for testing and to reopen her psychological and medical history, but this was denied by the court

After his arrest in Budapest two days after the murder, he helped investigators locate Michalski’s body, but insisted her death was accidental. 

Video released by police at the time showed LTM in handcuffs leading police to where the body was abandoned inside the suitcase.

Police dogs watched on as specialists in hazmat suits placed markers in the ground at the direction of the killer.

Evidence bags labeled ‘one’ and ‘two’ were collected, along with samples of grass and leaves, before the Irishman was returned to the police car.

LTM’s lawyers argued at his trial that Michalski’s injuries were from consensual rough sex and she asked him to choke her, which accidentally killed her.

His defense petitioned the court to exhume her body for testing and to reopen her psychological and medical history, but this was denied by the court.

‘Everything I did, I did because Kenzie asked me… I didn’t want to take her life,’ he told the court during her trial.

One of LTM’s lawyers, György Magyar, likened Michalski’s death to a car accidentally sliding down a road and hitting a tree, killing its passenger.

Police shared photos of the evidence collected, including this suitcase that Michalski’s body was stuffed inside and later recovered from woods

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Police released photographs of the evidence collected during their investigation

Prosecutors rubbished LTM’s ‘rough sex’ defense as Michalski suffered from an old neck injury and had never shown any interest in BDSM.

Michalski’s mother Jill implored the court to give the Irishman ‘deserves the harshest penalty allowed by law’ for his ‘heinous crime’ when she spoke at a sentencing hearing on Tuesday.

‘We will never be able to enjoy our only daughter’s birthday ever again,’ she said.

‘Since she was a child, Mackenzie dreamed of her wedding day and starting a family with her future husband. But now she’ll never be able to experience this.’ 

Jill raged against Hungarian laws that protected LTM’s identity while he was able to ‘besmirch’ his victim’s name in his defense.

Once LTM has completed his sentence in 2038, he will be deported back to Ireland. 

The defense has already lodged an appeal against the verdict and sentence.

Michalski dated Kenton Reichen in Portland for six years before her death, but they were on a break at the time and he pulled out of going on the trip to Europe.

Reichen wrote on social media that he blamed himself for her death and promised to ‘make it up to her… someday’.

‘I’ll miss you. I fell in love with you watching the sunset in Ibiza carrying you with your broken ankle. You were everything I needed in life. I’m sorry I failed you,’ he wrote.

Michalski dated Kenton Reichen (pictured together on a previous trip to Budapest) in Portland for six years before her death, but they were on a break at the time and he pulled out of going on the trip to Europe

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Reichen wrote on social media that he blamed himself for her death and promised to ‘make it up to her… someday’

A vigil held for Michalski in upstate New York – where she grew up and her parents still live – two days after her killer was arrested

Photos of Michalski and her friends and family displayed at the candlelight vigil

‘She was perfect, but I neglected her in many ways. It hurts me a lot, and I wish I could have protected her.

‘Kenzie did not deserve to be beaten, raped and killed so brutally. I wish I could have saved her from this. This will forever be the biggest mistake of my life.’ 

Kenton flew to Budapest after hearing she was missing, and assisted Michalski’s parents in searching for her until her killer confessed.

‘Kenzie will forever be remembered as a beautiful and compassionate young woman who dedicated herself to caring for others and making the world a better place,’ Michalski’s family said after LTM’s arrest. 

‘As a nurse practitioner, Kenzie used her humor, positivity, and limitless empathy to help heal her patients and encourage family and friends alike.’ 

The retail chiefs are urging the Welsh Government not to pursue a difference path

Executives from some of the UK’s biggest drink and supermarket firms have written to First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth warning that his government’s policy could mean higher prices, reduced consumer choice and increasing uncertainty for businesses.

The retail chiefs from Sainsbury, Coca-Cola and the Co-op are urging the Welsh Government not to pursue a different type of scheme to encourage recycling of empty bottles and cans, known as a deposit return scheme (DRS).

The DRS scheme is due to launch October 1, 2027, and will see customers pay a 20p refundable deposit when buying single-use plastic bottles, steel and aluminium cans. People will get the 20p back when they return the clean, uncrushed container to an approved return point.

England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all adopting aligned schemes with Exchange for Change having been appointed in May 2025 to operate the return scheme in all three nations. The schemes across the UK are designed to reduce litter and increase recycling rates.

The Welsh Government has yet to confirm an administrator to run its DRS as the Plaid Cymru government has indicated that it wants to add glass bottles to the scheme when it becomes feasible to do so

Signatories to the letter include general manager of Coca-Cola in the UK, An Vermeulen, chief executive of Tesco Ashwin Prasad, chief executive of Sainsbury’s Simon Roberts, chief executive of Carlsberg Britvic, Paul Davies, chief executive of the Co-operative Group Kate Allum and chief executive of AG Barr Euan Sutherland.

In the letter to the First Minister the executives argue that appointing Exchange for Change is the only realistic route to delivering a DRS in Wales on time while also creating interoperability benefits between the four nations.

They write: “Our businesses are looking forward to working closely with you and your government across a wide range of areas, including the urgent issue of the Welsh Deposit Return Scheme . We recognise that your government has inherited significant delays to the process of appointing a scheme administrator from the previous administration.

“It rejected the industry-backed bid by Exchange for Change to run the Welsh scheme, despite its application containing a pragmatic compromise on glass and complying with the regulations. We welcome your government’s recent constructive engagement with industry and Exchange for Change to find a way forward, building on your manifesto commitment to include glass only when it becomes practically feasible.

“There is now less than fifteen months until the scheme’s legislated launch date in October 2027. Based on our experience with other schemes and the preparation they require, the only realistic option for staying on schedule in Wales is appointing Exchange for Change and working with them to deliver a scheme. Unless this happens by the end of July, commercial and operational realities that our businesses have to respond to will create negative economic outcomes for Welsh consumers, reducing choice and increasing the costs of products on shelves. “

Any retailer selling in-scope drinks containers would be required to set up a collection and payment system. Many will use RVMs (reverse vending machines) in store, which read barcodes as bottles are inserted and provide a receipt or returns, which are then paid at the counter. The initial cost of the RVMs would be borne by the supermarket or convenience store. Standard RVMs cost around £15,000 per unit, but the soft-drop RVMs required to collect glass in Wales could cost £30,000.

They add: “We share your ambition for a DRS that builds on Wales’ world-leading rates of recycling. Alongside wider industry, our businesses are investing over £1bn establishing DRS (across the UK by next year) which, if aligned across the four nations, could halve litter and push recycling rates above 90%. We remain committed to working with your government and officials at pace on appointing Exchange for Change to deliver a scheme that works for the people of Wales as part of a DRS aligned across the UK. “

The industry has previously raised concerns that requiring full-scale glass collection at every return point from day one in Wales could add around 50p to the cost of every drink sold in a glass bottle . There is also concern that, if a functioning return network is not ready in time, Welsh consumers could be required to pay deposits on eligible containers without a practical way of getting that money back.

A spokesperson for Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said: “A well-run DRS reduces litter, boost recycling rates, reduce carbon emissions and create a cleaner environment for communities – every week without a scheme administrator for the proposed Welsh scheme makes delivering those benefits more challenging.

“Businesses want to focus on building a scheme that genuinely serves Welsh consumers and the environment. Therefore we respectfully encourage the Welsh Government to move forward appointing a scheme administrator before recess.”

A spokesperson for The Co-operative Group, said: Action to protect the environment is a consistent priority for Co-op members, and we have long welcomed a Deposit Return Scheme that increases recycling rates and decreases litter.

“We want to see accelerated progress towards a more circular economy, to protect the range and cost of drinks available to consumers, and to continue to serve communities through our stores right across Wales – all of which can only be achieved if the Welsh Government moves with pace and pragmatism to appoint Exchange for Change without any further delay.”

Andy Bagnall, director general, British Soft Drinks Association, said: “Industry has a lot of sympathy with the new Welsh Government which has inherited the delays to the Welsh DRS from its predecessor.

“There is still time to deliver a scheme that works for shoppers, businesses and retailers alike, but that window is closing rapidly. Appointing Exchange for Change offers the quickest and most practical route to delivering the scheme on time and alongside the rest of the UK. That also means taking a pragmatic approach to including glass in the Welsh scheme and not repeating the mistakes of the previous administration by trying to include full scale glass collection on day one, which is simply unaffordable for Welsh businesses and consumers.”

The Welsh Government were asked to provide an update on the procurement process. If was also asked if Exchange for Change isn’t appointed whether it would seek to implement and fund its own DRS. It has been estimated that running its own scheme could cost £100m.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We are working at pace on a formal process to appoint a deposit management organisation which will be concluded soon. It would be inappropriate to prejudge the outcome of this process

The UK is home to beautiful coastal towns and villages, but there’s one less than two hours from Cambridge that has been named among the best, thanks to its traditional seaside charm

The UK’s best seaside destinations have been named – and one is less than a two-hour drive from Cambridge.

With sweeping expanses of smooth shingle beach and picturesque pastel-coloured Victorian architecture lining the promenade, Aldeburgh has earned recognition as a beloved coastal town. In research by Which?, the East Suffolk seaside destination was highly praised by visitors for its scenery, ambience, food and drink offerings, and shopping scene, all of which earned four stars out of five.

Elsewhere, the survey by Which?, with more than 3,500 people, also ranked Aldeburgh with three stars out of five for its beach, seafront, tourist attractions and value for money. This earned it an overall destination score of 80%, securing its place among the top five UK seaside towns and villages.

Its unspoilt shore is the type of place you’d want to pitch up a striped deck chair for a traditional day out at the beach and to admire its coastal vistas in a typically quieter resort. Adding to the authentic seaside charm, Aldeburgh is renowned for its award-winning fish and chip shops, which encourage visitors to enjoy the British dish ‘The Aldeburgh Way’.

There’s the family-run Aldeburgh Fish & Chip Shop, just a short walk from the beach, that has been open since 1967, serving up chips made from locally sourced potatoes and a selection of fish. Also on Aldeburgh’s High Street is The Golden Galleon, which offers pies and burgers, while The Upper Deck Diner is upstairs for indoor dining.

One happy customer hailed The Golden Galleon and shared on TripAdvisor, “Haddock and chips are the best in Suffolk!” Another noted The Upper Deck Diner for having ‘excellent fish and chips’, writing: “Wonderful fish and chips at a reasonable price, excellent service from the lovely staff.”

Aside from its fish suppers, there are pubs to grab a refreshing pint, inviting cafes and bakeries, and a range of restaurants, including Two Magpies Bakery Aldeburgh, Regatta Restaurant for seafood, Aldeburgh Munchies for a brew and people-watching, and Thai Street Cafe Aldeburgh. Elsewhere on its buzzing high street, there are a plethora of shops, including the independent Aldeburgh Bookshop, the women’s clothing shop, ORLANDO’S, the gift store, Alde River, and local favourite, The Pug And The Pussycat.

Aldeburgh even has some famous links, with former Manchester United footballer and Irish pundit, Roy Keane, said to have called the seaside town home, along with Peter Sinfield, the co-founder and lyricist of the 70s rock band, King Crimson. Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears are also big names in the town, having launched the Aldeburgh Music Club in 1952, while the Aldeburgh Literary Festival remains a major event enjoyed by locals.

Top 30 seaside towns and villages

• Bamburgh — 84%
• Tynemouth — 82%
• St Andrews — 81%
• Aldeburgh — 80%
• Crail — 80%
• Frinton-on-Sea — 80%
• Portmeirion — 80%
• St Davids — 79%
• Bude — 78%
• Southwold — 78%
• North Berwick — 77%
• Plockton — 77%
• St Ives — 77%
• Swanage — 77%
• Lyme Regis — 76%
• Lytham St Annes — 76%
• Portstewart — 76%
• Conwy — 75%
• Dornoch — 75%
• Filey — 75%
• Lynmouth — 75%
• Sidmouth — 75%
• St Mawes — 75%
• Tenby — 75%
• Tobermory — 75%
• Wells-next-the-Sea — 75%
• Whitley Bay — 75%
• Broadstairs — 74%
• Falmouth — 74%
• Llandudno — 74%

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “The North East has emerged as this year’s favourite seaside spot, a reflection of its outstanding beaches and the fact that holidays here can be fantastic value for money.

“It also shows that there are special seaside towns in every corner of the UK. From Swanage to Plockton, Southwold to Conwy, you’ll have a great time in many of the country’s lesser-known destinations, and should save some money too.

“Whether you’re returning to a much-loved seaside town or discovering a hidden gem, there’s something for everyone.”

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

One of the most exclusive beach resorts in Wales received one of the lowest ratings from the consumer body

Consumer body Which? has named what the seaside towns in Wales that are the least highly rated by visitors.

The magazine, which is published by the Consumers’ Association charity, said that Bangor was was the least well-thought-of seaside town in Wales based on its survey of 5,000 people.

Barry Island received the second lowest rating after those quizzed were asked to assess seaside towns on the quality of the beaches, scenery, food and drink, accommodation, tourist attractions, shopping and value for money.

One visitor said Barry Island was “tacky” and only worth visiting if you “love Gavin & Stacey”. Both Barry and Bangor scored more highly than the seaside town Which? rated the worst in the UK. Bognor Regis scored 41% and just one star in most categories. Visitors said it was “tired” and needed “major rejuvenation”.

At the top of the list, the mock Italian tourist village of Portmeirion built by architect Clough Williams-Ellis on the coast of north-west Wales close to Penrhyndeudraeth was the highest rated seaside town in Wales. It was closely followed by St Davids in Pembrokeshire.

Surprisingly, the millionaires playground of Abersoch on the Llyn Peninsula was was one of the lowest-scoring seaside towns in Wales because of its expensive reputation. It scored fourth-lowest coming only narrowly behind north Wales town Colwyn Bay and marginally above the west Wales port of Fishguard.

The lowest-rated seaside towns in Wales by Which?

• Bangor – 46%
• Barry Island – 54%
• Colwyn Bay – 55%
• Abersoch – 55%
• Fishguard – 56%

One visitor to Barry Island said “Unless you are a big Gavin and Stacey fan I’d give it a miss.” Visitors described the seafront as “a bit tacky”, however the beach scored three stars and one visitor said it is an “old fashioned and lively seaside town, great beaches and interesting walks.”

Abersoch, where beach huts sell for the price of family homes, suffered when people were asked to rate tourist attractions and value for money.

For many years now the coastal town of close to the tip of the Llyn Peninsula has been loved by celebrities including Coleen Rooney and Bradley Cooper, who enjoy its beaches, fine dining and sailing. Homes on the exclusive Benar Headland sell for upwards of £1m and it has been compared to Sandbanks in Dorset.

One contributor said: ”Abersoch is very expensive. It’s a millionaires’ playground. Having said that, it’s a nice place to visit, people-watch, and spend lots of money. Good walking, sailing and nice beach.”

Another said: “‘Abersoch is extremely expensive because of all the people flocking in from the wealthy areas of Cheshire and Merseyside. The beaches are so quiet even at the height of the season because they are so big. Views are magnificent. Food expensive but good’

Fisghuard, which also scored poorly is a favourite of WalesOnline travel reporter, Portia Jones, who says it’s home to one of the best cafes in Wales, as well as top ranked bakers.

The highest-rated seaside towns in Wales

• Portmeirion – 80%
• St Davids – 79%
• Conwy – 75%
• Tenby – 75%
• Llandudno – 74%

Portmeirion achieved 80% scoring highly on tourist attractions, scenery and its seafront.

St Davids in Pembrokeshire was valued it for its scenery and tourist attractions.

Bamburgh in Northumberland took the top spot in Which?’s survey for the sixth year running. With an overall destination score of 84 per cent, Bamburgh was given five stars for its beach, seafront and scenery. Visitors praised the “lovely beach overlooking Bamburgh Castle” and the “spectacular coastal scenery.”

In the survey, many popular seaside towns had middling scores. Despite their reputation as trendy destinations, Margate (53%) and Newquay (55%) received just one star for peace and quiet and two stars for value for money.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel said: “The North East has emerged as this year’s favourite seaside spot, a reflection of its outstanding beaches and the fact that holidays here can be fantastic value for money.

“It also shows that there are special seaside towns in every corner of the UK. From Swanage to Plockton, Southwold to Conwy, you’ll have a great time in many of the country’s lesser-known destinations, and should save some money too.

“Whether you’re returning to a much-loved seaside town or discovering a hidden gem, there’s something for everyone.”

With former defence minister Al Carns confirming he will not contest the Labour leadership, a coronation for Andy Burnham is all but guaranteed.

That will mean no clash of ideas, no test of mettle, no televised debate. For a man so thoroughly convinced he is uniquely placed to lead the Labour Party and the country to sunnier days, the outgoing Manchester mayor seems oddly averse to scrutiny.

He’ll write the odd opinion piece for a national newspaper and even entertain a Q&A with Reddit, the Left-leaning online forum (only answering the questions he wants), but a one-on-one telly grilling from the legendary broadcaster and Daily Mail columnist Andrew Neil these are not.

A leader as confident in his abilities as Burnham would surely relish the opportunity to press his Left-wing case in a leadership contest against some Blairite holdout, to debunk their policy proposals as Tory-lite and put forward prescriptions of his own.

He could place before the membership two sharply contrasting visions for their party and win their endorsement for his vision so emphatically that his internal opponents are forced to fall in line or at least scale back any efforts to undermine him.

If Burnham is the saviour he believes himself to be, it is in his interests to have a competition rather than a coronation.

Why, then, is he snatching at the crown? Given the ideological make-up of the Labour Party membership, there would be little risk of defeat were he to face a centrist rival.

The risk would be to the ego of a man who reeks of entitlement and seems to regard being Prime Minister as his destiny. That Burnham is this hostile to scrutiny while he loiters on the doorstep of No 10 does not bode well for his temperament once inside. The Labour Party will come to regret installing an untested leader in these most testing of times.

The only voters given a say have been his constituents in the Makerfield by-election, and that in a part of the country very friendly to Labour. Such is the way of it with our constitution; neither a general election nor a leadership poll is required to change Prime Minister.

However, after a decade of ever-changing premiers, it is plain that some form of contest is advisable, if only to give the voters an opportunity to hear from their new Prime Minister and see what he’s all about.

When Liz Truss stood to replace Boris Johnson in 2022, there was a genuine contest thanks to the candidacy of Rishi Sunak. The pair debated, claimed, counter-claimed and squirmed through difficult questions about their intentions, and while the membership initially went with Truss, a bruising contest meant that when her tenure ended in catastrophe, there was a successor ready and waiting whom the country felt had been sufficiently tested.

Burnham’s unwillingness to submit himself to the most cursory democratic examination bodes ill. For the man himself, it means he will enter Downing Street without a popular mandate. When times get tough, and they will, he will not be able to fall back on this democratic endorsement.

He won’t be able to keep internal foes at bay by reminding them that the membership chose him. In declining to submit himself to a contest, he is implicitly admitting that a contest might return someone else as leader. That possibility will be chum in the water should his government get off to a rocky start.

Earning the job brings legitimacy but it also buys a level of protection from those around the Cabinet table who would do to him what he has done to Keir Starmer. Burnham is denying himself that protection.

Of course, he is only getting his coronation because the Labour Party is allowing him one. Without intending it, Labour is telling the country not that Burnham is the best man for the job but that he’s the only one they’re willing to countenance. What does it say about the party of government, an outfit which secured a landslide two years ago, that it cannot field a single alternative leader to a city mayor.

If their aim is to conceal tensions within the party, Burnham’s premiership might well thrust these divisions into the foreground.

Among the various reasons why Starmer failed so dismally is that, no matter what they promise, Labour governments always spend more.

Starmer arrived in No 10 to find there was little in the way of fiscal headroom. Without a significant cut in spending or increase in taxes, there would be no money to lavish on those items Labour MPs prioritise.

This is why Starmer first attempted to slash welfare expenditure, only to be trounced by indignant backbenchers. Burnham will now confront the same benefits bill, the same backbenchers – and the same sense that the Government is adrift and without direction.

The pressure will build and the momentum will grow for a fresh direction – another one – and Burnham will be denied an appeal to his mandate among party members.

Finally, and most importantly, a coronation does real damage to the country. Britain is facing a decline far steeper than anything seen in the 1970s.

Sluggish growth, uncontrolled immigration, compromised defences, runaway spending, the threat of separatism in Scotland and Wales, and the growth in Islamic extremism and other domestic security concerns – the scale of challenges the next prime minister must overcome is daunting.

Spurning a genuine competition of ideas in favour of bestowing the crown on a chippy, arrogant regional politician just because he wants it now and is willing to scream and scream to get it is a fatal mistake of national consequence.

It means gambling everything, including Britain’s future, on Burnham being as good as he tells everyone he is.

This is a not terribly impressive New Labour frontbencher who has lost every competitive leadership poll he has stood in, a self-styled political messiah whose only miracle has been spreading cash and sentimentalism across his own backyard.

Few men on the cusp of No 10 have been so shielded from the most basic assessments of competence and fortitude.

Should Burnham prove to be a dud, and he’s given us no grounds to suppose otherwise, it will mean yet another failed Prime Minister, more wasted years.

Britain cannot afford many more of these. This nation is in desperate need of a leader, but instead is being made to settle for another self-promoting member of the Westminster establishment. A lanyardista is a lanyardista, even if he likes pie’n’gravy and has spent time north of Luton.

France’s longest river has been reduced to a sandbank as deadly temperatures have soared across Western Europe amid a record-breaking heatwave.

As Europe experienced its most severe ever recorded heatwave in June, drought conditions are worsening in France as shocking images show a completely barren Loire River in Montjean-sur-Loire.

The dry river, which is 625 miles long, has been transformed into a desert-like landscape with only stagnant puddles that remain. 

The Doubs River in the Maisons-du-Bois-Lièvremont commune is also devoid of water as a result of the blistering conditions.

The extreme temperatures have shut schools, knocked out power to tens of thousands of households and has claimed more than 2,000 lives across the country.

Water reserves have been destroyed by the soaring temperatures and almost a dozen departments had at least one commune under the highest ‘crisis’ level for tap water.

Households have been advised to restrict their water use and avoid watering plants, washing cars and filling private swimming pools.

Last month was also the second-warmest June globally, and the planet experienced the highest June sea surface temperatures since records began, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said in a monthly bulletin.

A drone view shows a bridge with sandbanks of a branch of France’s longest river

The Doubs River in the Maisons-du-Bois-Lièvremont commune is also devoid of water as a result of the soaring heat (pictured on Thursday)

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The average temperature in Western Europe last month was 20.74 degrees Celsius (69.3 degrees Fahrenheit), more than 3C above the average for June during 1991-2020, the data showed.

France recorded its hottest day since records began nearly 80 years ago, when temperatures peaked at 44.3C in the south-western town of Pissos on June 24 and the nation was placed under a red heat alert. 

It comes as ‘catastrophic’ wildfires ravaged Southern France on Monday, while poisonous clouds swept through Greece and Costa Brava in Spain was put on alert as temperatures across Europe are predicted to reach 40C.

Hundreds of firefighters were battling blazes that have devastated more than 19,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land – an area more than twice the size of Manhattan – across Portugal, Spain, France and Greece.

In southwestern France near the city of Perpignan, 700 firefighters backed by special aircraft battled to control a ‘gigantic’ blaze spreading in a hard-to-reach remote area, with more than 10,000 local residents evacuated.

Fanned by wind, intense heat and exceptionally dry air, the fire has nearly tripled in size since early Sunday, devouring 4,600 hectares and leaving a firefighter and a resident injured, local authorities said.

The extreme weather is being driven by a persistent pattern that traps hot air over the region for days, allowing temperatures to keep rising. Scientists say such events are being intensified by global warming.

‘Climate change is here, we are living the consequences and it is only the start of July,’ said French fire service Colonel Eric Belgioino as he appealed to people near the Pyrenees inferno to take precautions to avoid starting fires.

‘The season is going to be long for the soldiers fighting fires. You have to help us,’ he pleaded.

Western Europe has now suffered three intense heatwaves in as many months, with countries including Spain and Portugal in the grip of another this week.

‘June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing,’ said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. 

‘The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure across Europe and beyond.’

The Loire River pictured just days before on Saturday, though the water levels were considered very low

A farmer stood in his field of dried out corn crops today as the heatwave hit Saint-Dolays in north-western France

A wildfire burning in the Aspres region seen from Millas, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, southern France on July 5

People cooled off in the Trocadero Fountain near to the Eiffel Tower on June 24

National authorities reported more than 4,700 excess deaths in France, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands during the June heatwave – with the total across other countries likely to be higher – while the intense heat also fueled wildfires in Iberia and France and exacerbated drought conditions.

Greenhouse gas emissions, mostly from burning coal, oil and gas, have increased the planet’s average temperature to around 1.4 ‌C ⁠above pre-industrial times in the 19th century, according to the World Meteorological Organization. 

That higher baseline means temperatures can now hit higher peaks during heatwaves.

‘The relationship between heatwaves and global warming is about as straightforward as it gets: on a hotter planet, there will be more heatwaves, and they will become more intense,’ said Joeri Rogelj, a climate scientist at Imperial College London.

The ⁠spike in temperatures is also being driven by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara, fuelled by a strong high‑pressure ​system known as the ‘African anticyclone.’

Meteorologists say the system is creating a so‑called ‘heat dome,’ trapping hot air over western and central Europe and ​allowing temperatures to build day after day.

The freak Saharan heat dome is causing chaos across the rest of Europe including in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and in Spain where at least 212 died in three days. 

Globally, C3S said other factors were at play in driving sea surface temperatures to a record high for June – including the development of a strong El Niño weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

C3S’s temperature records go back to 1940, and are cross-checked with global temperature records dating back to 1850.

“A number of people were involved, they know who they are and they are going to have to live with that for the rest of their lives.”

The murder of a man at an Eleventh Night bonfire in Co Antrim has had a “devastating effect” on his family police say as they continue their hunt for the culprits 26 years on.

Detectives from Legacy Investigation Branch are appealing for information on the 26th anniversary of the murder of Andrew Cairns in Larne on 12 July 2000.

The 22-year-old was attending a bonfire at Boyne Square in Larne on 11 July ahead of the annual Twelfth of July celebrations when he was attacked and shot by a group of men in the vicinity of Greenland Drive. Andrew was taken to the nearby Moyle Hospital but died in the early hours of 12 July as a result of a single gunshot wound to his head.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Andrew became involved in an altercation with a number of men at the Rangers Supporters Club while attending an Eleventh Night bonfire. This altercation became violent and Andrew was viciously beaten by up to ten men close to the bonfire before being shot.

“After Andrew was shot a number of the men continued to kick Andrew as he lay on the ground. All of his attackers then made off on foot. One of those involved was driven away from the scene in a red coloured Vauxhall Calibra car.