Recently, under the influence of the super El Niño phenomenon, India once again suffered from extreme heatwaves. The highest temperature in New Delhi exceeded 45 degrees Celsius, while the highest temperature in Banda, Uttar Pradesh, even reached 48 degrees Celsius. Large-scale power outages occurred in many parts of the country, significantly affecting peoples lives.
Coincidentally, the rare precipitous heatwaves have also hit Europe. Many countries, including France, the UK, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, have set new records for the highest temperatures in May. In France alone, seven people have died due to extreme heat conditions. Climate experts warn that climate change is causing European heatwave seasons to become more frequent and more common.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, after France set a record for the hottest May on record on May 25th, it once again broke that record on May 26th. According to preliminary data from the French Meteorological Service, the average high temperature across France on May 26th reached 24.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 24.6 degrees Celsius set the day before. The French newspaper Le Monde reported that the highest temperatures in most regions of France that day ranged between 33 and 36 degrees Celsius.
Currently, 13 out of 96 administrative regions in France have issued the second-highest level of high-temperature alert, while 29 regions are in yellow alert status. This is the first time that France has activated such alert mechanisms in May since the establishment of a national high-temperature warning system in 2004.
French government spokesperson Mod Brejon told France Télévisions that currently, seven people have died due to high temperatures, either directly or indirectly. Five of these deaths occurred when people were swimming in the water to cool off.
Additionally, it was reported that a woman from Lyon, France, died of high fever during a fitness competition. In Paris, a 53-year-old man died of a sudden heart attack while participating in a 10-kilometer race. At another road race held in Maison-Alfort, a suburb of Paris, 16 people were taken to the hospital, with 10 of them in critical condition. Furthermore, three French teenagers drowned in a swimming accident last weekend.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has urgently convened a meeting of relevant ministers to assess the governments preparedness to deal with the ongoing heatwave.
On May 26 local time, Paris, France experienced high temperatures. A runner drank water under the shade of a tree. IC Photo
This heat wave does not only affect France. Many European countries, including the UK, Spain, Italy, and Ireland, have also experienced abnormally high temperatures.
The UK reported the highest temperatures ever recorded in May. In areas near London, temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius on the 26th, breaking the previous record of 33.5 degrees Celsius set the previous day. This also surpassed the high temperature records from 1922 and 1944, which stood at 32.8 degrees Celsius. Normally, temperatures in May in the UK do not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
The British Meteorological Agency said bluntly: Even in the height of summer, such high temperatures are extremely rare in the UK. Let alone in May.
The Spanish National Meteorological Agency stated that high temperatures are expected to continue in several river valleys throughout the country until the 29th. Temperatures will generally remain between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, with some areas possibly reaching over 40 degrees Celsius. The Italian region of Lazio, including Rome, has already started restricting outdoor work during midday hours (12:30 to 16:00). Construction sites, farms, and the delivery industry are all affected. Two weather stations in Ireland have also set new records for the highest temperatures recorded in May.
Climate scientists point out that the severity of this round of heatwaves is unprecedented. French climate scientist Christophe Castel told Le Monde that, based on climate conditions from 1979 to 2025, the probability of such events occurring during this specific time period each year is only about one in a thousand. Such occurrences were almost impossible before the Industrial Revolution.
Many experts attribute this extreme high temperature to the heat dome effect. This phenomenon occurs when powerful high-pressure systems form in the upper atmosphere, causing hot air to press down over the Earths surface like a lid. As the air descends, it continues to be compressed and heated, eventually forming a massive heat bubble that traps heat within.
The French Meteorological Service believes that this hot air originated from Morocco. Under the influence of high-pressure systems, this air was trapped over Europe, resulting in these persistent extreme temperatures. Forecasters predict that many regions in Europe may set new temperature records this week. In some areas, temperatures will be 12 to 13 degrees Celsius higher than usual for this time of year. Such extreme heat conditions are expected to become more frequent, occur earlier in the season, and be more intense over time.
Climate researcher Robert Walther analyzed that the heatwave seasons are indeed getting earlier. This is a typical characteristic of climate change. In the future, we will experience similar high-temperature events in April and October.
