France has witnessed its hottest May day on record, as it braces for even more exceptional heat.
The country’s weather agency Météo France declared yesterday that new monthly highs have been logged at 352 weather stations, mainly in the west, with the highest temperature of 37.1°C registered near Hossegor, close to Biarritz. Climate scientists say the ‘unprecedented’ event has a one in 1,000 chance of happening at this time of the year, based on records dating back to 1979.
Forecasters warn the country will continue to swelter in the coming days due to being trapped under a “highly anomalous and powerful” heat dome – an atmospheric pattern that locks in heatwaves and is becoming more common due to human-caused climate change.
Maximum daytime temperatures are slated to hit a scorching 35°C in Nantes today (26 May), while Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and Bordeaux will reach 34°C. Even northern cities like Lille will experience maximum temperatures of 30°C.
The heatwave, which has already been potentially linked to multiple deaths, including a 53-year-old runner who died on Sunday in a Paris race, has sounded the alarm for what France can expect as it heads into summer.
