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Europe swelters in heatwave as temperature records smashed
Europe continues to swelter in a record-breaking heatwave, with France recording its hottest day in May and Britain breaking a temperature record for the second time in 24 hours.
France recorded a new average nationwide high of 24°C celsius on Tuesday, although temperatures in some parts of the country were much higher, reaching 36°C in Brittany, in the northwest of the country.
People gather on the banks of the Seine River amid a severe heat wave in Paris, France, 26 May, 2026.
Reuters
The UK’s Met Office weather monitor said a temperature of 35.1°C was recorded at Kew Gardens in southwest London on Tuesday, smashing a 34.8°C record set a day earlier in the same location.
A French government minister said there had been heat-related deaths, including five drownings and two fatalities during sports competitions.
“What I can say today is that there have been seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heat,” the French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told TF1 television.
Locals cool off as they relax on a jetty in the Shadwell Basin, fed by the Thames River, during a heatwave in London, Britain, May 26, 2026.
Reuters
France's Atlantic coast is well-known for its beaches and strong riptides. The unusually early heatwave has created added danger by arriving before the summer beach season when lifeguards are typically on duty.
Paris and other regions remain on high alert, with officials urging people to stay indoors, hydrate, and avoid strenuous activity.
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Authorities in the UK said at least four teenagers died in apparent drownings in lakes and reservoirs, while a 60-year-old man died in the sea off southwest England.
In the Netherlands, temperatures hit 31°C in the southern city of Eindhoven, while Spain and Italy are also experiencing heat well above seasonal norms.
Scientists have long warned that manmade climate change, largely caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas, is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense, and causing them to arrive earlier in the year in Europe.
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