The United Kingdom and France are confronting an intense spring heat wave that has shattered temperature records, forced authorities to issue health warnings, and added to concerns over the risks of extreme weather arriving earlier in the year than usual.
In London, temperatures reached 35.1 Celcius at Kew Gardens on Tuesday, breaking a record set only a day earlier and surpassing a long-standing May high that had stood since 1922 and was matched in 1944.
France also saw record heat, with temperatures hitting 36C in the southwest and remaining unusually high overnight.
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🚨 Europe Weather Alert: A dangerous late May #heatwave is hitting Southern & Western Europe. Temps in #Spain, #France, and #Portugal will exceed 35C, potentially soaring to 39C. We could see records broken due to this extreme heat. Stay safe and hydrated! ☀️🌡️ #Europe #Heat pic.twitter.com/E3RqMaak6R
— Weather Action Europe (@WeatherActionEU) May 22, 2026
Heat and water made a poor pairing
Officials said the heat has already been deadly.
British authorities reported at least four teenagers died in apparent drownings in lakes and reservoirs, while a 60-year-old man died in the sea in southwest England.
In France, government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said there had been reports of at least seven deaths potentially related to the heat, including five drownings and two deaths during sports competitions.
On France’s Atlantic coast, officials also reported two drowning deaths at popular resorts in the Gironde region, where strong riptides and early-season beach conditions have heightened the danger.
☀️🌡️ Europe is sweltering under an unusually powerful heat dome, sending temperatures 12–16C above seasonal norms and threatening May records across the continent. Forecasters warn the stagnant high-pressure system will keep trapping heat in the days ahead.
— Bolt+ (@boltplus) May 26, 2026
📺 Watch more on… pic.twitter.com/s9q8MwPihQ
A heat dome keeps the warmth locked in
The weather pattern has been attributed by meteorologists to a heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps hot air and has pushed temperatures more than 10 degrees Celsius above normal for the time of year in parts of Western Europe.
In the U.K., the Health Security Agency issued an amber alert for large parts of the country through Thursday, warning of potential health risks, especially for older people during the hottest parts of the day.
Britain’s typically temperate climate and limited air-conditioning coverage have made the heat especially disruptive, with commuters enduring sweltering subway carriages and firefighters battling a grass fire in Scotland.
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May appears to have mistaken itself for July
The heat wave has also spread beyond Britain and France.
In Spain, weather service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said temperatures normally seen in mid-summer had arrived in May, with Seville reaching 38 Celcius over the weekend and large parts of the Iberian Peninsula running 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal.
In Rome, Mercury was hovering around 32C on Tuesday. Climate scientist Peter Thorne said such heat waves have been made more likely and more severe by climate change, while warning that the record-setting conditions in the UK and France were “mind-bogglingly crazy.”
