Europe Heatwave: Heat Dome Traps Millions Under Scorching Skies | World DNA

Añadido: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]All right, and moving on, Europe is facing an extraordinary early season heat wave. Temperatures are smashing records. Streets are emptying, and forecasters are warning of a mini version of what they call hell. At the center of it all is a powerful weather phenomenon known as the heat dome. This next report brings you details.

[00:00:32]>> [music] >> Hot weather has already hit Europe, the start of a heat wave.

[00:00:51]France and the UK logged their hottest May temperatures on record.

[00:00:56]The UK has recorded its all-time highest May temperature. As [music] part of London reached 34.8°C, the hottest May day on record.

[00:01:06]Temperatures in London normally average about 17 or 18°C at this time of year.

[00:01:14]Temperatures in Spain were expected to peak later this week at 38°C.

[00:01:20]Restrictions on outdoor work were imposed in parts of Italy.

[00:01:25]Beaches in southwest [music] France filled earlier than usual.

[00:01:29]Scientists say human-driven climate change is amplifying such extremes with Europe warming faster than the global average.

[00:01:40]>> [music] >> This is something we've been noticing for several decades, meaning the phenomenon is cumulative, and clearly each time we see higher thresholds of temperature or drought. It has, I think, gotten hotter here since I moved in 2019, and it's getting hotter and hotter and it does kind of raise important issues about climate change.

[00:02:04]Um and the impacts that the climate change is having not only kind of on civilian population here in London, but overall on the farmers, on the wildlife, on how the animals are surviving.

[00:02:19]The weather phenomenon is being described [music] by some scientists as a heat dome with pressure trapping hot air over countries like [music] a lid.

[00:02:28]This area of high pressure sitting over Western Europe including the UK. Um and that means that everything sinks down.

[00:02:35]So the air is sinking and heating up as it sinks uh and killing off the clouds as it sinks as well. And that all traps heat near the surface um a bit like putting a blanket over everything. And that allows that warming to build over several days.

[00:02:54]The British Heart Foundation is warning hot weather can present specific risks for people with heart conditions.

[00:03:01]The immediate danger of this early extreme weather is severely amplified by regional infrastructure that is utterly unequipped for the crisis.

[00:03:09]And that presents [music] a unique challenge for Europe.

[00:03:12]Unlike many parts of Asia or West Asia, much of Europe was built to retain heat, not repel it.

[00:03:19]Homes, schools, offices, and public transport systems were designed for cold winters rather than prolonged periods above 30° C.

[00:03:26]That means when a heat dome arrives, the temperatures can feel even more punishing. For millions across Europe, this is not just a hot week. It is a warning of what future summers may increasingly look like.

[00:03:39]Bureau report, VOA World is One.