Record May temperatures have sweltered huge parts of Europe, as countries remain trapped under a “powerful” heat dome – but experts warn the worst is yet to come.
France’s weather agency Météo France declared on Monday (25 May) that new monthly highs had been logged at more than 350 weather stations, with the highest temperature of 37.1°C registered near Hossegor, close to Biarritz. The intense heat has been linked to multiple deaths, and shows no signs of shifting.
The UK record for the hottest May day was also broken for a second consecutive day yesterday, as temperatures in parts of London surpassed a scorching 35°C.
According to weather forecaster WFY24, dozens of European capitals witnessed temperatures far above the climatological normal high for this time of year.
London faced the biggest anomaly, with temperatures exceeding 16°C above average May conditions, while Paris (+14°C), Berlin (+11°C), Lisbon (+10°C) and Madrid (+10°C) also faced exceptionally high temperatures. Even cooler regions like Oslo experienced balmy temperatures of 18°C, an additional 3°C from average temperatures for late May.
