U.K., France brace for another heat wave as temperatures soar in Europe

The United Kingdom and France are preparing for yet another heatwave, marking the fifth such event of the season as temperatures continue to rise across Europe. According to national weather agencies, Météo-France has warned that temperatures in southeast France could approach 40°C (104°F) starting Tuesday. In the UK, an amber heat health alert will take effect across much of England later this week, with temperatures forecasted to reach 36°C (96.8°F). This ongoing series of heatwaves has already led to severe consequences, including major wildfires, prolonged droughts, and new national temperature records, with projections indicating thousands of heat-related deaths. The extreme heat began in May and has persisted through the summer months, contributing to unprecedented environmental challenges. Globally, 2026 is currently the third-hottest year on record, trailing behind 2024 and 2025. However, scientists suggest that due to the combined effects of human-induced global warming and a powerful El Niño phenomenon, characterized by warmer-than-average ocean temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific, the year could potentially surpass previous records by year's end. Recent data from the European climate agency Copernicus indicates that last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July in the extrapolar oceans, reaching 20.96°C (69.73°F), surpassing the previous record set in 2023. Despite this, the global average surface air temperature for July was 16.90°C (62.42°F), placing it as the joint second-warmest July on record, matching the temperatures observed in July 2024. In Western Europe, the average temperature for the June-July period reached 21.62°C (70.92°F), eclipsing the previous record set in 2022. Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, explained that persistent high-pressure systems have been trapping heat over western Europe, exacerbating the extreme temperatures and leading to widespread drought. As soils dry out, they lose their capacity to cool naturally, enabling heat to accumulate more rapidly. “This is a clear example of how climate change is intensifying heat extremes, with heat and drought increasingly reinforcing one another,” she noted. The impact of these heatwaves has been particularly severe in countries like France, where heatwave alerts were issued for the first time in May, with more than half the nation recording new monthly temperature highs. The situation worsened in June, during which at least 5,700 additional deaths were recorded compared to usual figures, according to France’s public health agency. On June 23, Météo-France confirmed that this date marked the hottest day ever recorded in the country, with temperatures peaking at 44.3°C (111.7°F) in the southwest. Two further heatwave episodes in July intensified an existing wildfire in southwestern France, prompting the evacuation of 220,000 people, one of the largest displacement efforts in Europe since World War II. Meanwhile, in the UK, while temperatures were slightly lower on Monday, the country is bracing for its fifth heatwave of the summer. Half of England and all of Wales are experiencing drought conditions, with provisional data showing that England and Wales have faced their driest July in records dating back to 1836. Nineteen counties in England recorded no rainfall throughout the month, highlighting the severity of the situation. The heat alert underscores the potential for significant impacts on both the environment and public health as the region continues to endure an exceptionally hot and dry summer.