‘Full-on summer heat’: western Europe braces for unusually high temperatures

Western Europe is preparing for an intense and early heatwave, with temperatures forecast to soar well above seasonal averages across Portugal, Spain, France, and the UK. The heat is expected to push temperatures beyond 30°C from Friday into the following week, with some areas potentially reaching highs of 38°C. The UK Met Office has issued "extraordinary" heat health alerts for the weekend, warning that temperatures could reach 33°C on Monday, surpassing the previous May record of 32.8°C set in 1944. In France, Météo-France anticipates new May temperature records, particularly in the southwest and Brittany regions, where both daytime highs and nighttime lows are expected to be unprecedented for this time of year. The heatwave is driven by a heat dome caused by hot air from Morocco trapped under a strong anticyclone. This phenomenon is linked to climate change, with Europe identified as the fastest-warming continent, making such early and intense heat events more frequent and severe. While the UK may experience a heatwave lasting several days, France and Spain are unlikely to meet official heatwave criteria due to differing thresholds for nighttime temperatures and duration. The extreme heat has already had tragic consequences in Spain, where a two-year-old girl died after being left in a car for hours in the Galicia region. Spanish meteorologists warn that the heatwave will continue into next week, with record-breaking temperatures expected. The early onset of such high temperatures underscores growing concerns about the impacts of climate change on weather patterns, public health, and safety across Europe. Authorities are urging residents to take precautions as the region faces what is being described as “full-on summer heat” well before the traditional season.