Heat Dome Locks Hot Air Over Europe | Britain Records Hottest May | WION Dispatch

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]An intensifying early season heat wave is sweeping across Europe, smashing the temperature records, triggering health alerts, and forcing thousands to seek relief from the dangerous heat stretching from Britain to Italy. In fact, France recorded its hottest Mayday ever this week, with officials confirming seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heatwave. After temperatures surged far above the seasonal norms, authorities urged the residents to take precautions.

[00:00:32]At least seven people have died. Britain also shattered records for a second consecutive day. Four teenagers drowned in lakes and reservoirs as crowds rushed to waterways during the heat wave.

[00:00:45]Temperatures reached 35° C in a part in London and also Heathro airport. surpassing records set just 24 hours earlier and breaking a May benchmark that had stood for over 100 years.

[00:01:04]>> It's quite intense. It feels a little early for it to be this hot. Um but it feels so different and from the states originally it feels really different.

[00:01:12]Even this temperature in like New York versus in London feels much hotter here even when the temperature is the same.

[00:01:20]Temperatures climbed towards 35° C in major urban centers in Italy as well, prompting the authorities to activate orange heat alerts across several cities, particularly in Tuscany and Umbria.

[00:01:35]Meanwhile, Portugal beaches filled with residents and tourists seeking relief as temperatures approached 36° C around Lisbon.

[00:01:45]Health officials warned the vulnerable groups must avoid prolonged exposure outdoors. Germany also sweltered under unusually hot conditions with temperatures hovering near 30° CP packed lakes near Cologne while outdoor workers described the working conditions as brutal.

[00:02:04]Construction workers working on Slovak's capital city also continued to toil under the sun, wearing heavy clothing that offered little respite from the heat. Meteorologist saying the heat wave is being driven by a powerful heat dome which is a high pressure system trapping hot air from North Africa over Western Europe.

[00:02:26]Climate scientists warning Europe is warming up faster than any other continent. According to the EU's Copernicus climate change service, Europe is now around 2.4° 4° C warmer than the pre-industrial levels compared to the global average of roughly 1.4°.

[00:02:48]Paris in the springtime is beginning to look like Paris in the summer and that could become a major problem. These cloudless skies are bringing record setting spring temperatures. The heat wave, which is unprecedented for the month of May, is affecting not just France, but also the United Kingdom and other parts of Western Europe. This tarmac is not just hot to the hand. It feels like you could almost fry an egg on it. The last few days have brought temperatures into the mid30s. That's nearing 100 Fahrenheit. And it's the same again, relentless heat today. And of course that begs the question, as climate change bites, are countries and cities like Paris ready? Are they adapting fast enough?

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