Western Europe braces for record-breaking May heat wave

Western Europe is bracing for an unusually early burst of extreme heat, with forecasters warning that temperatures could rise more than 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) above average in May, breaking long-standing records in several countries.

Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France, and the UK are expected to exceed 30C (86F) on Friday and into next week, with 32C (89.6F) forecast in Paris and London and up to 35C (95F) in south-west France.

In Spain, temperatures could reach 38C (100.4F) in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions.

The French national weather forecaster Meteo-France said the unusually high temperatures are being driven by a “heat dome” stretching north from Morocco across the Iberian Peninsula into France.

“Since Thursday, May 21st, warm air has been gradually moving up over France from Morocco, via the Iberian Peninsula, and remains trapped under high pressure, creating an atmospheric blocking pattern.

"This high pressure acts like a lid, trapping the warm air and heating it through compression. This is known as a heat dome. In downward currents, the air sinks. As it is compressed towards the lower layers of the atmosphere, it heats up,” the forecaster said.

The French national weather agency said records are “almost certain” to be broken for both the highest May temperature recorded in France and the country’s highest average temperature for a day in May.

Meanwhile, the UK's national weather forecaster, the Met Office, said temperatures in the UK could locally reach 33C (91.4F) on Monday, surpassing the current May record of 32.8C (91F) set in 1944.

“Extraordinary” heat health alerts have been issued across parts of the UK for the weekend, while some areas could officially enter a heat wave if temperatures remain above 26C (78.8F) to 28C (82.4F) for three consecutive days, depending on the region.