Europe braces for extreme summer heat after record-breaking spring

Europe is likely to face another summer of extreme heat, forecasters warned, following record-breaking spring temperatures across parts of the continent and signs of strengthening climate patterns linked to hotter weather. The UK Met Office said the country could experience a warmer-than-average summer, with an increased likelihood of heatwaves. Hotter-than-normal conditions are now twice as likely as under previous climate norms. The warning follows an exceptionally warm spring across western Europe. France, Britain, and Portugal reported their hottest-ever May days as a “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa pushed temperatures well above normal levels. In the UK, temperatures reached a record 35.1°C (95.2°F) at Kew Gardens in London—the highest May temperature ever recorded.

Health impacts and El Niño

Spain recorded 101 heat-related deaths in May, the highest figure for the month since records began in 2015, according to the Health Ministry. The toll was more than three times the decade average. The European Space Agency recorded unusually high land surface temperatures across large parts of the continent in late May. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said there is an 80% chance of El Niño conditions developing between June and August, a climate pattern that can amplify temperature and rainfall extremes. The WMO warned of increased risks of heatwaves, drought, and heavy rainfall, adding that forecasts for June through August show “a nearly universal dominance of above normal temperatures.”