Western European countries experience abnormal heat in May. The temperature record set in 1922 in the United Kingdom has been broken. France recorded its highest temperature on record in May. The country’s authorities attribute the death of at least seven people to the heat. by ExpectationsAnd it will get worse in the coming days. Temperatures in Spain and Portugal are expected to rise to 40 degrees.
France
Temperatures across the country have been rising since the end of the week. I mentioned Meteorological Agency Météo-France. In some places, especially in the west of the country, temperatures exceeded seasonal norms by 9-13 degrees Celsius.
May 25 become France experienced its hottest May day on record. The average temperature across the country was 24.6 degrees. In Angoulême (Charente Department), the maximum temperature reached 36 degrees.
Temperature May 26 continued It grows. An orange heat alert has been issued for eight western counties, where temperatures are expected to reach 33-36 degrees. French meteorology expected temperatures to rise to 39 degrees in southern France by Thursday.
Seven people died in conditions directly or indirectly linked to high temperatures. I mentioned In the French government.
Great Britain
Meteorological Office I mentionedOn May 25, a new daily temperature record for the spring months was set. In the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London, the temperature was recorded at 34.8 degrees.
The previous record – 32.8 degrees – was set in 1922. As the Met Office notes, the weather is “exceptionally hot for the UK even in the middle of summer, let alone in May”. The agency expected temperatures to drop to 20 degrees by the end of the week.
Ireland
Two weather stations on May 25 registered A record high of 28.8 degrees in the country. Previously it was the hottest day in May It was considered May 31, 1997 when it recorded 28.4 degrees.
Germany
On May 23, the temperature exceeded 30 degrees. The weather is expected to be hotter in some areas of the country until Wednesday. Notes German wave.
Spain
State Meteorological Agency Emmett to caution About “unusually high temperatures for this time of year” during the week. It is expected that the peak temperature will reach from Wednesday to Friday, when temperatures will reach 36-38 degrees, and in some places even 40 degrees.
Portugal
Midweek in some areas of the country He predicts Close to 40 degrees.
Italy
Air temperature for several days exceeds May rule. By the end of the week, forecasters expect temperatures to reach 31-32 degrees in Milan and Rome, and up to 33 degrees in Florence and Bologna.
The administrative region of Lazio, which includes Rome, has already imposed restrictions on working during the day in conditions of “prolonged exposure to the sun.” These measures apply, for example, to agriculture, construction sites and the logistics sector and will remain in force until September 15. Notes FRANCE 24 Similar rules were introduced last year, but they only came into force on May 30.
The Severe Weather Europe project, which analyzes extreme weather events, warningIn the last week of May 2026, temperatures in Western Europe will be approximately 12-16 degrees above normal.
Abnormal temperature link With the “thermal dome” that covered Western Europe. The warm air coming from North Africa was “confined” to a high pressure area over the region. It’s like a frying pan lid, preventing warm air from quickly dissipating or being replaced by cool air. At the same time, the air descends, compresses and heats more, causing the Earth’s surface temperature to rise even more, and the heat persists for several days in a row.
Against the backdrop of climate change, such periods are expected to become more common, according to the French Meteorological Agency. The heat will start earlier and become more intense. According to the agency, until 1989, France experienced an average of one heat wave every five years. Since 2000, at least one heat wave has occurred every summer.