Europe braces for another summer of extreme heat after record-breaking spring
Europe is likely to face another summer of extreme heat, forecasters warned, after record-breaking spring temperatures across parts of the continent and signs of strengthening climate patterns linked to hotter weather.
The UK Met Office said the country could experience a warmer-than-average summer, with an increased likelihood of heatwaves and related impacts. It said hotter-than-normal conditions are now twice as likely as under previous climate norms.
The warning follows an exceptionally warm spring across western Europe.
“France, Britain and Portugal reported their hottest-ever May days as a ‘heat dome’ of warm air from northern Africa pushed temperatures well above normal levels across western Europe,” the French weather service Meteo-France said.
In the UK, temperatures reached a record 35.1C (95.1F) at Kew Gardens in London, the highest May temperature ever recorded in the country.
The health impacts of early-season heat are already emerging.
Spain recorded 101 heat-related deaths in May, the highest figure for the month since records began in 2015, according to the country's Health Ministry. Officials said the toll was more than three times the decade average.
The European Space Agency also recorded unusually high land surface temperatures across large parts of the continent in late May, with southern and central Europe among the hardest-hit areas.
Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Tuesday that there is an 80% chance of El Nino conditions developing between June and August, a climate pattern that can amplify temperature and rainfall extremes.
“El Nino conditions are developing and are set to influence global temperature and rainfall patterns,” the WMO said, warning of increased risks of heatwaves, drought and heavy rainfall.
The UN agency added that forecasts for June through August show “a nearly universal dominance of above normal temperatures” across most of the globe.
Short-term forecasts suggest a brief cooler spell early in June before high pressure potentially returns later in the month, raising the risk of renewed heat across parts of Europe.
Authorities across the continent are warning that early-season heat is already placing pressure on health systems, water supplies and energy networks, a situation that could be exacerbated in the coming months.
AA
