The UN climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was "a brutal reminder of the spiraling impacts of the climate crisis".

“What we used to call a July phenomenon is now arriving in mid-May", according to one weather forecaster.

Temperatures hit record highs for May in the United Kingdom and France on Monday, as forecasters warned of a prolonged period of extreme heat across Europe throughout the week.

Heat dome over Europe scorches UK, Ireland, France and Spain

Western Europe reeled under an unseasonal heatwave on Tuesday as record-breaking temperatures swept across the continent.

Europe sizzles as record-breaking May heatwave scorches continent-