Extreme weather in Europe. Photo: LCV / Shutterstock.com An unusually hot spring heat wave continues to hit Europe, with official meteorological services warning of extreme temperatures and heavy heat waves in several countries across the continent.
According to the British Met Office, London recorded a temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius yesterday, the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK in May. Wales also recorded a new May high of 32.2 degrees Celsius.
In France, the official weather service Météo-France reported that more than 350 measuring stations broke heat records for May. The southwestern city of Houscourt measured 37.1 degrees, with temperatures 10 to 13 degrees higher than the seasonal average.
Unusual temperatures were also recorded in Spain and Portugal, with ECMWF models and European weather forecasts indicating that certain areas of the Iberian Peninsula are expected to reach 38 and even 40 degrees in the coming days.
According to ECMWF and the European Climate Service Copernicus, the heat wave was caused by a “heat dome”, a high-pressure system that traps warm air from North Africa over western and southern Europe.
According to the updated ECMWF forecasts, the abnormal heat is expected to persist for at least the next few days, mainly across western and southern Europe, before gradually easing in some areas later this week. At the same time, other areas in central Europe are expected to experience an increase in temperatures and abnormal heat loads.
According to the seasonal forecasts of the European Climate Service Copernicus and ECMWF, the summer of 2026 is expected to be warmer than average in most parts of Europe, with a high probability of more frequent and longer heat waves, especially in the south, center and east of the continent. The forecasts also indicate drier-than-average conditions in some regions, which could increase the risk of drought and summer fires. Copernicus emphasizes that Europe is the continent warming at the fastest rate in the world, after at least 95% of the continent experienced