The heatwave has caused at least seven deaths in France, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees in Hossegor (near Biarritz) and around twenty departments on orange or yellow alert, activated for the first time in May. Last Sunday, a man died in a popular race in Maisons-Alfort, near Paris, from a heart attack, while ten other runners were hospitalized in critical condition due to dehydration. At least five people died in drownings in rivers and lakes indirectly attributed to the heatwave in France, which on Monday recorded the hottest day in its history in May.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has called for an urgent meeting on Thursday to assess government services in the face of the extreme heat that has led to the suspension of sports competitions and has directly impacted the start of the Roland Garros tournament (tennis player Casper Rudd had to receive medical attention on the court for fifteen minutes due to heatstroke).
In the UK, meanwhile, temperatures reached 34.8 degrees in Kew Gardens, southwest of London, something completely unusual in a country where the average temperature ranges between 14 and 20 degrees at the end of May.
"We are facing temperatures that are considered unusual even in the height of summer," warned the British Met Office in a statement. "This is a clear sign of climate change in action and it is highly likely that this will be the new normal," meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told the BBC.
"The extension of heatwave seasons is a characteristic phenomenon of climate change," warned climatologist Robert Vautard in statements to the France-Presse agency. "Ultimately, we will end up having similar episodes in April and October."
The "heat dome" affecting Spain, Portugal, Italy, and even Ireland is attributed to a warm air mass from North Africa, trapped under a high-pressure system over Western Europe. A similar phenomenon led to an exceptional heatwave last year at the end of June, but until now, nothing comparable had occurred in May.
According to the recent State of the Climate in Europe report by the Copernicus program, Europe is warming the most due to the effects of climate change. The report emphasizes the urgency of adaptation and mitigation measures in Europe and the need to reduce CO2 emissions and accelerate the transition to clean energy.