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Western Europe braces for first major heat event of the summer
TL;DR
Western Europe is preparing for its first major heat event of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 30C in several countries. Records for May temperatures are likely to be broken in places like France and Spain due to a heat dome effect.
Key points
- Western Europe facing first major heat event of summer
- Temperatures expected to rise over 10C above normal
- New monthly records for May likely in hundreds of locations
- Heat dome causing unprecedented temperatures
- Forecasts include 35C in south-west France and 32C in Paris
Mentioned in this story
Western EuropePortugalSpainFranceUKMétéo-France
A large swathe of western Europe is bracing for the first significant heat event of the summer, with temperatures forecast to rise to more than 10C above the norm and new monthly records for May expected to be set in possibly hundreds of places.
Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK were expected to exceed 30C (86F) on Friday and into next week, reaching 32C in Paris and London and 35C in south-west France, with highs of up to 38% in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions of Spain.
“Both maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to reach unprecedented levels for the season in multiple regions, particularly the south-west, during a premature heat event that will be intense and last several days,” said Météo-France.
The French national weather forecaster said new records were almost certain to be set for the highest May temperature recorded in France (30.5C in 2025), and the highest average temperature across the country on a day in May (22.8C in 2017).
It said the exceptional temperatures, likely to exceed previous records by three or four degrees in some cities such as Nantes and Brest, were caused by a heat dome, with hot air from Morocco trapped under the high pressure of a powerful anticyclone.
Météo-France said the temperatures expected in Brittany in particular were “quite remarkable so early in the pre-summer season”, and likely to exceed existing records by as many as three or more degrees.
It said climate breakdown meant that Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, could expect to see such exceptional heat events happen “more and more often and more and more prematurely, and to be more and more intense”.
The Met Office said temperatures in the UK, where “extraordinary” heat health alerts have been issued for the weekend, could reach 33C locally on Monday, exceeding the current highest temperature recorded in May of 32.8C, set in 1944.
Parts of the UK could also enter a heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 26C to 28C – depending on the location – for three days. That is unlikely in France, where night-time temperatures must also stay above a certain level for an official heatwave to be declared, or Spain, where temperatures would have to reach high summer levels.
In Spain, where temperatures already reached 38C on Thursday, the who died in the northwest region of Galicia after accidentally being left in her father’s car for hours.
Q&A
What temperatures are expected in Western Europe during the heat event?
Temperatures are forecast to exceed 30C, reaching up to 35C in south-west France and 32C in Paris and London.
Which countries in Western Europe will be affected by the heat wave?
Portugal, Spain, France, and the UK are expected to experience the significant heat event.
What records are likely to be set during this heat event in France?
New records for the highest May temperature and the highest average temperature in May are expected to be established, surpassing previous records by three or four degrees.
