Western Europe is being engulfed by an unusually early heat wave, with the United Kingdom, France and Spain all setting new records for the hottest May temperatures ever recorded.
According to The Guardian and AFP on Tuesday, the UK Met Office said the daytime high at Kew Gardens in southwest London soared to 34.8 degrees Celsius, marking the hottest May weather on record. The reading broke the country's previous May record of 32.8 degrees, set in 1922, after 104 years. "Heat of this level is rare even in midsummer in the UK," the Met Office said. "It is particularly exceptional in May."
France also saw record-breaking high temperatures. Meteo-France, the country's national weather service, announced that more than 300 observation stations in the western part of the country had broken May temperature records. Some areas in the southwestern Landes region recorded temperatures above 37 degrees, while Paris exceeded 30 degrees for the first time this year. Western cities including Nantes and Niort climbed to around 35 degrees, effectively reaching midsummer-level heat.
Spain was no exception. Some areas in the south already saw daytime highs approaching 38 degrees, and weather authorities predicted that some regions could reach close to 40 degrees later this week. Tropical nights, in which temperatures do not fall below 20 degrees, are also forecast, adding to public fatigue.
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Experts say this heat wave is likely not a simple weather anomaly but a new normal created by climate change. Christophe Cassou, a French climatologist, said in a local media interview that "even based on current climate conditions, the probability of such a phenomenon occurring is extremely low." He added that "this level of heat would have been virtually impossible in the pre-industrial era."
European weather agencies said this heat wave has registered temperatures up to 12 to 13 degrees above seasonal averages. Meteo-France warned of the possibility of further record-breaking, saying, "This heat is exceptional in its timing and prolonged in its duration." Multiple climate models have already shown that the probability of early-summer heat waves in Europe has risen significantly compared to the past, due to increased greenhouse gases from human activity.
Greg Dewhurst, a meteorologist at the UK Met Office, said, "The repeated occurrence of extreme heat waves is itself a strong signal that climate change is underway," adding that "this kind of weather is increasingly likely to become the new normal." Heat records have been rewritten in Europe almost every year, including in 2022 when the UK exceeded 40 degrees for the first time in history.
Heat Wave Causes Fatalities…European Countries on Emergency Alert
The record-breaking heat has already led to casualties. At a 10-kilometer marathon held in Maisons-Alfort on the outskirts of Paris, one participant died of a heart attack, while several others were rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The French government issued heat warnings in dozens of regions across the country and advised citizens to refrain from outdoor activities. This is the first time a heat warning has been issued in May since France introduced its heat wave alert system.
Some regions in Italy have introduced restrictions on outdoor labor as part of heat wave countermeasures. The Lazio region, which includes Rome, has decided to restrict daytime outdoor work for laborers in the agriculture, construction and logistics sectors. The measures are scheduled to remain in effect until mid-September.
Experts believe the timing of heat waves is likely to shift earlier in the year. Robert Vautard, a French climate researcher, warned that "similar heat waves can now occur not only in May but also in April or October," adding that "European society as a whole has entered an era in which it must prepare for a new climate environment."
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