The extreme heat currently scorching Europe would have been almost impossible just a few decades ago – as scientists warn that climate change is “running rampant”.
Record-breaking temperatures have caused widespread havoc across the continent, with schools, hospitals, transport and outdoor workplaces all struggling to cope. Drowning deaths have surged in France, which recently experienced its hottest day since measurements began, as citizens scrambled to cool down.
Across the channel and the UK is bracing for highs of up to 38°C, already witnessing its hottest June day on record after temperatures climbed to 36.1°C.
While blistering temperatures are predicted to abate in Western Europe, weather forecasters warn that weekend highs of 41°C could hit parts of Hungary, Bulgaria and Czechia. These typically cooler nations are significantly less prepared for intense weather than the Mediterranean, for example.
Making ‘impossible’ heatwaves possible
