Lead

An extreme early-season heatwave sweeping western Europe has shattered temperature records and drawn a stark warning from the UN climate chief, who called it “a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis.” Simon Stiell, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said the “main culprit” was humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas – the primary driver of climate change. “The science is clear that human-induced climate change is making these heatwaves more frequent and extreme,” Stiell said, as France, Spain and the UK experienced temperatures usually associated with July or August.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from BBC News and The Guardian highlight the record-breaking nature of the heatwave, with hundreds of temperature records broken in France, according to its weather service Météo-France. The UK recorded its hottest May day on record twice this week. The Guardian reported a temperature of 35.1C (95.2F) at Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, breaking the 34.8C record set a day earlier – both easily surpassing the previous record of 32.8C set in 1922 and equalled in 1944. BBC News reported that UK temperatures passed 35C on Tuesday, more than 2C above the previous record for May.

France also recorded its hottest May day ever on Tuesday, when the national heat index hit 24.8C, surpassing Monday’s 24.6C – itself a record, according to The Guardian. Météo-France said a “heat dome” – heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front – was producing temperatures 10C to 13C higher than customary for the time of year. BBC News described the heat dome as an area of high pressure becoming “stuck” over Europe, trapping warm air underneath.

Ireland’s May temperature record has been surpassed by more than 1C, while Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland have also faced unusually hot conditions for spring, as reported by BBC News. The Guardian noted that temperatures in Spain could reach 40C.

Key Claims

The immediate cause of the heatwave is a heat dome, where an area of high pressure is stuck over Europe, trapping warm air underneath – a point made by both BBC News and The Guardian. But scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change – largely from burning coal, oil and gas – has supercharged the heat, according to BBC News. Over the last 30 years, Europe has been warming by 0.56C per decade – more than twice the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service, as reported by BBC News.

The human toll is already apparent. The Guardian reported seven deaths linked to the heat in France and the drowning of four teenagers in England. BBC News quoted climate experts describing the records as “absolutely astonishing” and “mind-bogglingly crazy.” The Guardian’s coverage cited excess mortality data compiled by climate and health researcher Malcolm Mistry, which showed that in 2024, summer heat in the EU claimed roughly three times more lives than car crashes. Mistry himself described how he cut short a cricket game with his son in London as temperatures soared.

Looking ahead, The Guardian projected that El Niño could return in a potent form this year, potentially heralding worse heat to come. Farmers have also sounded the alarm over weather projections, according to The Guardian.

Perspectives

UN climate chief – Simon Stiell called the heatwave “a brutal reminder of the spiralling impacts of the climate crisis” and said the “main culprit” is humanity’s burning of coal, oil and gas. He urged nations to “kick the fossil fuel addiction much faster” and protect lives and economies from extreme heat and other climate costs.

Climate scientists – Friederike Otto of Imperial College London called the UK temperatures “absolutely astonishing,” and Peter Thorne of Maynooth University in Ireland said they were “mind-bogglingly crazy.” Richard Betts of the UK Met Office noted that records are “more extreme” than climate scientists warned about 33 years ago. Malcolm Mistry, a climate and health researcher, described the personal risk he felt during the heat and highlighted the large death toll from summer heat in Europe, which he says society rarely treats as a crisis.