Europe braces for record-breaking heatwave

Europe is facing another intense heatwave, with forecasts predicting temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in the southern parts of the continent. France is particularly preparing for potentially record-breaking heat, as its national meteorological service, Météo-France, warned that average temperatures could match the highest ever recorded in the country, regardless of the month.

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The average temperature in France could reach the same level as the hottest day ever recorded in France, regardless of the month.

Temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius are expected in France as early as Saturday, with authorities issuing warnings for unusually high temperatures across much of the country. President Emmanuel Macron has urged the public to exercise extreme caution, although no formal nationwide measures have been implemented yet. Educational institutions and various public and private sectors are independently adjusting their operations in anticipation of the heat's peak, expected early next week.

Spain is also experiencing severe heat, with its weather service Aemet issuing red alerts for the Pyrenean border regions. Andalusia could see temperatures reach 45 degrees Celsius, and general warnings highlight significant risks for outdoor activities and vulnerable populations. Similar heat is forecast for Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia, with the potential for thunderstorms. Several regions anticipate an unusually long period of tropical days and nights, symptoms that experts link to persistent climate change.

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May 2026 was the second warmest May month ever recorded globally, meaning that exceptional global heat continues, with temperatures near record levels both in the atmosphere and in the ocean.

This heatwave follows a similar event in May, also caused by an African air mass moving north. That earlier heatwave set numerous records in countries including France, Ireland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Samantha Burgess, head of the Copernicus Climate Change Service at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), noted that May 2026 was the second warmest on record globally. She stated that "exceptional global heat continues, with temperatures near record levels in both the atmosphere and the ocean." Burgess added that "Europe's unusually early and intense heatwave shows how quickly extreme weather conditions are becoming the new normal rather than the exception."

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Europe's unusually early and intense heatwave shows how quickly extreme weather conditions are becoming the new normal rather than the exception.