Europe Heatwave Live: UK Braces for Record Temperatures; Italy Issues Red Alert for 16 Cities

Europe is grappling with an extreme heatwave, shattering temperature records and prompting widespread alerts. Italy has declared a red heatwave alert for 16 cities, including Milan and Rome, as temperatures soar.

The United Kingdom is preparing for potentially record-breaking temperatures, with the Met Office issuing a red weather warning for extreme heat. This warning covers a large swathe of England and Wales, from London to Swansea and Birmingham. Schools in several areas, including Somerset, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire, will close or operate on reduced hours to protect pupils from the dangerous heat.

France has already recorded its hottest day ever, with 40 people confirmed to have drowned in unsupervised swimming areas over recent days. Over 90% of the French population is exposed to extreme heat, with temperatures expected to remain dangerously high across the country.

Similar extreme conditions are anticipated in the Netherlands, Poland, Croatia, and Hungary, with heat warnings and alerts in effect. Experts point to atmospheric circulation patterns trapping hot air, a phenomenon intensified by global heating, as the cause of this prolonged and severe heatwave.