Western Europe remained in the grip of an intense heatwave even as France and the United Kingdom registered their hottest May temperatures on record on Tuesday, with soaring temperatures triggering health alerts, weather warnings and heat-related deaths across parts of the continent.Swimmers relax in the Sky Pool - a transparent acrylic swimming pool bridge fixed between two apartment blocks - at Embassy Gardens in south-west London on May 24, 2026, as temperatures increase to heatwave levels and are set to rise further over the long bank holiday weekend. (AFP)The unusually hot weather has been driven by a heat dome carrying warm air from northern Africa across western Europe, pushing temperatures to levels more commonly seen at the peak of summer, according to DW.Scientists have warned that Europe is warming faster than the global average due to human-driven climate change, making heat waves more frequent and intense.Also Read | Heat dome over Europe scorches UK, Ireland, France and SpainUK's unprecedented May heatThe United Kingdom also saw unprecedented May heat, with the Met Office saying temperatures climbed to 34.8C (94.64F) at Kew Gardens in southwest London on Monday — two degrees higher than the previous May record."This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone May," it said on X.Temperatures in London usually average around 17C or 18C at this time of year.The Met Office also said the UK had provisionally recorded its highest minimum temperature for May overnight into Tuesday, describing it as a “tropical night.”Last week, climate advisers warned that the country was “built for a climate that no longer exists,” urging the government to adapt infrastructure such as schools and hospitals to withstand increasingly extreme weather conditions.In Germany, temperatures crossed 30 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on Saturday, with forecasters expecting even warmer conditions in parts of the country through Wednesday.Also Read | 97 of world’s 100 hottest cities in India as brutal heatwave pushes temperatures past 45°CHeatwave and deaths in FranceIn France, weather agency Meteo-France said “Monday was the hottest day recorded for the month of May since measurements began” across the country.The agency said the heat spell was expected to continue until at least the end of the week and issued an orange heatwave alert — the second-highest warning level — for northwestern France on Tuesday morning.Paris had already recorded its first temperature above 30C of the year on Saturday, reaching 31.9C.On Sunday, a man died during a 10-kilometre running race in Paris, according to civil defence services, although authorities have not yet established whether the heat contributed to his death.A woman in Lyon also died of heat stroke following a competitive fitness run.France’s Junior Energy Minister Maud Bregeon said on Tuesday that seven people had died in circumstances directly or indirectly linked to the current heatwave.Five of the seven fatalities were people who drowned in lakes, rivers or beaches, Bregeon said.The government has ordered local authorities to take measures to protect people during sporting events, she added.France has been experiencing above-average temperatures since Saturday.Most of Brittany has been placed under an orange-level warning by Meteo France, which expects temperatures to reach as high as 36C on Tuesday afternoon.The heatwave is expected to continue through Wednesday and Thursday, according to the agency.Heatwave in Spain and ItalyFurther south, Spain is expected to face the most intense temperatures later this week, with some regions likely to touch 40C, according to the country’s meteorological office, AEMET.Parts of Italy have already imposed restrictions on outdoor work because of the heat. Similar measures were introduced last year as well, but only from May 30 onward.