Heat is one of the clearest signs of the climate crisis, with every heatwave in the world now stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change. 

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Several western European countries are baking under record-breaking heat this week that is highly unusual this time of year.

The heatwave is the result of a phenomenon known as a heat dome – where warm air from Northern Africa is trapped under a high-pressure system over Western Europe, lingering for days. It works like a lid on a pot, trapping hot air underneath.

The UK set a new daily heat record for May on Monday and again on Tuesday, when temperatures reached 35.1C in London. Temperature records for the month were also broken in Wales, where the mercury hit 32.9C on Monday, and in County Clare in Ireland, which recorded a maximum temperature of 30C, the BBC reported. Three tenagers reportedly died in the UK in separate drowning incidents.

Climate change is dramatically increasing the frequency of extreme high temperatures in the UK, according to the UK’s Met Office. Peaks of 30C used to be a rare occurrence in the country, and exceptionally rare in May – reached only a handful of times since 1900. In December, the forecaster warned that 2026 will likely be among the country’s four warmest years on record.

“This record-breaking heat has the fingerprints of climate change all over it,” said Friederike Otto, Professor of Climate Science, Imperial College London. “Seeing 35C in the UK during spring is absolutely astonishing, but the science is very clear – climate change makes these heatwaves hotter, longer, and far more frequent,” Otto added, pointing out that such high temperatures “were once exceptional even at the height of summer.”

France is also baking in record-breaking heat, with 36C recorded in the country’s southwest on Monday and 35.8C in Vendée in western France on Tuesday. Temperatures there climbed as much as 13C above seasonal norms over the weekend. Meteo-France, the national weather agency, called the early, intense, and prolonged heatwave “remarkable” as it warned of potential peaks of 38C or even 39C on Thursday.

Nighttime heat was also at an “unprecedented level of mildness” in recent days, the agency said.

High nighttime temperatures are detrimental to human health, as they prevent the body from recovering from daytime heat. This not only disrupts sleep, which can negatively affect physical and mental health, cognitive function, and life expectancy, but it also increases the risk of illness and mortality. A 2020 study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that five consecutive “hot nights,” defined as when temperatures rise above 28C (82F), would raise the risk of death by 6.66%.

Spain, parts of Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Austria are also grappling with record-breaking heat.

Heat is one of the clearest signs of the climate crisis. Every heatwave in the world is now stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change, which is primarily driven by greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. This raises Earth’s surface temperature, leading to longer and hotter heatwaves. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that any additional warming will further increase their frequency and intensity.

A ClimaMeter study published Tuesday attributed the unusual heat baking Western Europe to human-driven climate change. Researchers described the meteorological conditions behind the heatwave as a “rare” occurrence once mainly associated with autumn months but now also occurring in late spring.

Heatwaves are also one of the deadliest types of extreme weather event. In Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, heat-related mortality has already increased by around 30% in the past two decades. Experts say the continent could see three times as many heat-related deaths by the end of the century unless ambitious adaptation measures are implemented continent-wide.

More on the topic: Record Heat, Vanishing Ice: New Report Charts the Accelerating Climate Crisis Across Europe

Sports Event Organizers Reminded to Exercise Caution

At least seven people reportedly died in France for reasons directly or indirectly linked to the heat, “including at least five from drowning, as well as deaths related to extreme heat during sports events,” French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon confirmed on Tuesday. Two deaths involved athletes participating in separate sporting events, prompting France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari, to call on athletes, event organizers and sports federations to exercise extreme caution, keep hydrated, pay particular attention to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, and reschedule events wherever possible.

The French Open, a major tennis tournament, kicked off last weekend amid sweltering conditions in Paris. The tournament has guidelines in place to prevent athletes from overheating if temperatures reach a certain level, such as 10-minute breaks or even match suspensions. Norwegian player Casper Ruud was the first athlete to be visibly affected by the heat since the tournament kicked off on Sunday. He experienced cramping, had medical timeouts and used ice towels and water to cool himself down, the BBC reported.

“It felt like it was a bit of a kind of heatstroke feeling,” Ruud said, recalling a similar feeling he once experienced while playing in Washington DC. “That’s the only time I had that same feeling as I had today in the fourth set where I felt at times really dizzy, really tired and walking around like a zombie almost,” he said.

Featured image: Kyle Lam/hongkongfp.com

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