An unusually severe heat wave is sweeping across Western Europe, pushing temperatures to record highs in France and Britain and raising concerns about heat-related illnesses weeks before the start of summer.
According to French newspapers Le Parisien and Le Monde, temperatures in Paris climbed above 30 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on May 23 and remained at heat-wave levels through May 26. Highs have been running about 12 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of year.
The heat has been especially intense in Brittany, the northwestern French region along the English Channel, where temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius and triggered a yellow heat alert. It marked the first time such a warning had been issued in May since France introduced its heat-alert system in 2004. In southern France, temperatures climbed above 37 degrees Celsius, a level rarely seen in May.
France’s national weather service warned that an exceptionally early spell of extreme heat had arrived and was lingering longer than usual, describing conditions unlike any previously recorded for the month of May. Authorities urged residents to take precautions as temperatures remain elevated.
The unusually hot weather has already proved deadly. During an amateur running event in Paris on May 24, one man died and 10 others were hospitalized. A woman exercising at a sports facility in Lyon also died.
French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari expressed her condolences on X, saying the incidents underscored the need for extreme caution when engaging in physical activity during periods of intense heat.
The heat has also become a challenge at the French Open, one of tennis’ four Grand Slam tournaments, which began on May 24. According to The Associated Press, players have been wrapping ice packs around their necks during breaks, while spectators have called on court staff spraying water on the clay to cool them down as well.
Britain is also experiencing record-breaking temperatures. The BBC reported that London reached 33.5 degrees Celsius on May 25, surpassing the city’s previous May record of 32.8 degrees set in 1922.
Even Wales and Northern Ireland, which are typically cooler than much of England, recorded their warmest days of the year, with temperatures reaching 27.4 degrees Celsius and 23.4 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In response, the U.K. Health Security Agency on May 22 issued an amber heat-health alert, the second-highest warning level, for areas including the West Midlands, eastern England and London. According to the BBC, it was the earliest amber heat alert ever issued in the country.
Southern Europe is also baking under unusually high temperatures. Parts of Portugal have recorded highs of 40 degrees Celsius, while temperatures in southern Spain have approached 38 degrees Celsius.
Italian authorities have advised restricting work that involves prolonged exposure to direct sunlight between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., particularly in cities such as Rome.
Forecasters say the unusually early heat is being driven by a heat dome, a weather pattern in which warm air moving north from Africa becomes trapped beneath a high-pressure system over Western Europe.
Bloomberg reported that an early heat wave can dry out soil sooner in the season, allowing temperatures to climb more easily while reducing rainfall. The phenomenon could set off a vicious cycle in which parched ground fuels further warming and heightens the risk of prolonged drought later in the summer.
