A severe heat wave is covering many areas in Western Europe, causing England, Ireland and France to record unprecedented temperatures in May, amid meteorological agencies warning that extreme weather conditions could last for a week.
According to meteorologists, the "heat dome" phenomenon is the main cause of this unusual heat wave. The hot air mass from North Africa being held under a high pressure system in Western Europe has caused temperatures to rise sharply even when the region has not yet entered the middle of summer.
The UK Met Office on May 25 recorded a temperature of 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens, southwest London. This is about 2 degrees Celsius higher than the country's previous May temperature record. The Met Office said such a temperature is rare in the UK even during the summer peak.
Temperatures in London are much higher than the normal average of only about 17-18 degrees Celsius at this time of year. Ms. Liza Nizari, 10 years old, described the weather in the British capital as "a miniature version of hell" and said the feeling of heat is "like burning".
Scientists believe that climate change is making extreme phenomena such as heatstrokes, droughts and floods more intense, while increasing the frequency of breaking temperature records. Meteorologist Greg Dewhurst of the Met Office said that the increase in extreme temperatures is clear evidence of ongoing climate change and is likely to become "new normal".
Last week, climate advisors in the UK warned the government that the country was built on an unexisting climate model, and called for infrastructure adjustments such as schools and hospitals to adapt to global warming. In 2022, the UK first recorded temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
In Ireland, the Met Eireann meteorological agency said that record temperatures in May of 28.8 degrees Celsius were recorded at 2 weather stations in Killarney and Clonmel. Meanwhile, in Scotland, a fire broke out near Arthur's Seat Hill near Edinburgh, creating a smoke column covering the city as temperatures rose to about 25 degrees Celsius.
On the other side of the English Channel, the French meteorological agency said that dozens of temperature records in May were broken in many cities. 8 regions in the west of the country have been placed on heat wave alert status.
Bergerac town in western France recorded a temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius. Nantes and Angers cities also experienced similar temperatures on May 25. The French meteorological agency forecasts that most of the Brittany region will reach temperatures of about 32-35 degrees Celsius on May 26, while the southern region may record 36-37 degrees Celsius.
Paris on May 23 recorded for the first time in the year temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, reaching 31.9 degrees Celsius. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is expected to hold a meeting with key ministers on May 28 to review the response to heat waves.
Hot weather also has direct impacts on public health. A man died in a 10 km race in Paris on May 24. Meanwhile, 10 others were hospitalized in critical condition after a race at Maisons-Alfort, on the outskirts of France.
