More than 20 towns in France have recorded their highest-ever May temperatures, and the United Kingdom has set a national heat record amid an extreme early-summer heat event. The mercury could climb to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Spain by the end of the week.
UK and France Break Records
The UK's Met Office confirmed that the country's all-time temperature record for May was broken on Monday when 33.5 degrees Celsius was recorded at Heathrow near London. Highs of up to 35 degrees Celsius are expected later on Monday and Tuesday. Météo France, the national weather agency, stated that hundreds of further May records are likely to be set in France, Spain, and the UK. The agency described the heat episode as "premature, remarkable, and long," with temperatures exceeding norms by 12 or 13 degrees. This heat event is expected to last several more days.
Heat Dome Causes Extreme Temperatures
Météo France attributed the record temperatures to a heat dome, where hot air from Morocco is trapped under an area of high pressure. The agency warned that Europe could expect such events "more and more often, more and more intense, and earlier and earlier." Climate models estimate that June heatwaves are now about ten times more likely in Europe compared to the preindustrial era, and a similar trend is emerging for May. "This extension of the heatwave season is entirely characteristic of the effects of climate change," said Robert Vautard, a climate researcher, to Agence France-Presse. "Eventually, we will be seeing similar heat events in April and October."
France on High Alert
Authorities placed 18 French départements on high-temperature alert for Monday. This marks the first time the country's national heat warning system has been activated during May since its introduction in 2004. Météo France reported that temperatures could climb locally to 36 degrees Celsius. "Towns in the west of the country are likely to see temperatures several degrees higher than ever recorded in May," the agency said in a bulletin. Among France's larger cities, Paris hit 32.6 degrees Celsius on Sunday and is expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius on Monday. Bordeaux experienced 34.2 degrees Celsius. The south-western town of Brive-la-Gaillarde registered 35.3 degrees Celsius, nearly two degrees hotter than its previous May record.
Heat-Related Incidents
Civil defence services reported that a man died during a 10-kilometer running race in the Paris suburb of Maisons-Alfort on Sunday, reportedly after suffering a heart attack. Ten other runners had to be taken to hospital in critical condition after the race. Previous May highs were exceeded locally on Sunday all along France's Atlantic coast at weather stations including St-Nazaire (31.8 degrees Celsius), Noirmoutier (31.3 degrees Celsius), and Brest in Brittany (29 degrees Celsius), according to the national weather agency.
Spain Braces for Intense Heat
The hot spell in Spain, where temperatures in some southern areas hit 38 degrees Celsius over the weekend (between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius higher than normal), is expected to continue through the week. Rubén del Campo of the state meteorological office Aemet said, "The other really notable thing is that the situation is going to last until at least the end of the week. In fact, it could get even hotter on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures of at least 34 degrees Celsius across most of the country." Widespread highs of 36 to 38 degrees Celsius are expected in the Guadiana, Guadalquivir, and Ebro valleys between Wednesday and Friday. Del Campo added that "in some of those areas, temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius." He also noted that much of the country could experience so-called "tropical nights," where nighttime temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees Celsius.
UK and France Heatwave Criteria
Parts of the UK could enter a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 26 to 28 degrees Celsius (depending on the location) for three consecutive days. In France, an official heatwave declaration requires nighttime temperatures to stay above a certain level. The extreme heat underscores the growing impact of climate breakdown on European weather patterns.
