Temperatures

Germany, Czechia, Poland and Hungary reached record temperatures of more than 40C on Sunday Good morning, or dzień dobry, from Warsaw, Poland as the heatwave that affected much of the continent last week continues to impact central and eastern Europe.It’s 9am local time and already 32C. I have seen two people cycling home with large fans, trying to get back before the heat hits the fan again. None of this is normal. Continue reading...

Forecasters say hottest conditions are now spreading into central and eastern Europe, including Poland and the BalkansThe UK is set to get some respite from this week’s record-breaking heat over the weekend, but much of the rest of Europe remains in the grip of an intense heatwave as it shifts eastwards.Germany provisionally recorded its highest ever temperature yesterday with 41.3C near the city of Saarbrücken close to the French border. Forecasters say the hottest conditions are now spreading into central and eastern Europe, including Poland and the Balkans, over the weekend. Continue reading...

Extreme heat continues to impact daily life – and sporting events – across Europe. Plus, a tornado in RussiaTemperatures are forecast to rise dramatically in parts of central and northern Europe this weekend as the intense heatwave continues. In Germany and Poland, highs of up to or exceeding 40C (104F) are expected on both Saturday and Sunday, days after swathes of France experienced similar extreme temperatures. The Austrian Grand Prix, taking place this weekend in Spielberg, has declared a heat hazard, the first race to do so this season. Temperatures are expected to rise into the low 30s celsius during the race almost 10C warmer than usual for the venue.Across Europe, the intense heat has led to severe thunderstorms. In the Sverdlovsk region of central Russia, a strong tornado was reported on the evening of 22 June. Rated a 3 out of 5 on the international fujita scale, the twister injured 16 people and destroyed or damaged about 100 homes and businesses in the town of Kushva. Emergency services have been working on restoring power to the town. Tornadoes are not unheard of in Russia but are certainly rare, although forecasters warn that they may become more common in future as the climate breaks down. Storm warnings remain in effect in the southern part of the country on Friday. Continue reading...

First time red warnings issued in UK for three consecutive days; Paris to ban drinking alcohol in public as hospitals reach ‘saturation point’European heatwave is worst ever and impossible without climate crisis, scientists sayParis to ban drinking alcohol in public as hospitals hit heatwave breaking pointThe UK Met Office has extended a red heat alert into Friday for a large area of south-east England, the first time such warnings have been issued for three days in a row.The red warning is in place until 9pm for London, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Kent. Amber heat warnings are in place for a wider area on Friday, and are running into Saturday for parts of east and south-east England. Continue reading...

Temperatures expected to hit 40C in parts of the UK, as extreme heatwave spreads slowly eastwards, sparking warnings in Italy and the NetherlandsFrance records hottest day ever as 40 people drown across countryTell us: how is the heatwave in the UK and across Europe affecting you?Europe is braced for another day of an unprecedented heatwave that has smashed records in many countries.Italy’s health ministry has declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities for Wednesday, including Milan and Rome, and in the UK, temperatures are expected to reach 40C in some areas. Continue reading...

Many buildings are in use past their predicted lifespans, but even newer designs lack measures to beat heatTo see the UK’s failure to plan for the impacts of climate crisis, look no further than Beaconsfield primary school in west London – where a building more than 100 years old copes with extreme temperatures better than its neighbour, built less than 10 years ago.“I’ve got two buildings on my site – the older building is a Victorian-Edwardian-style building. It’s roughly 130 years old. That building is constructed with solid brickwork, very thick walls. It stays warm in winter and in summer it tends to keep the heat out so it is cooler inside. Even this week it’s starting to get uncomfortable but it’s still tolerable,” said Dave Woods, Beaconsfield’s headteacher. Continue reading...

• A severe heatwave has struck Europe, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C and resulting in three deaths in France due to heat-related health issues. • The extreme weather has forced nearly 2,700 French schools to close or modify schedules, while Spain's Labour Ministry is monitoring company compliance with laws regarding adjusted working hours during red and orange alerts. • Wildlife is also suffering; biologist Romaine de Jaegere reports that roof temperatures reaching 60°C have forced birds to abandon nests, leading to 150 animals being admitted to a Belgian refuge in three days.

Rail services, schools and sports events hit, with deaths of three elderly people in France partly blamed on intense heatWestern Europe is enduring a ferocious heatwave forecast to break temperature records, with half of France on red alert, rail services in Belgium disrupted and sports events in Spain and Germany cancelled or postponed.French authorities on Monday placed 49 of the country’s 96 mainland departments on a level 1 danger-to-life warning, urging 35 million people to exercise “absolute vigilance”, drink water often, avoid all strenuous exertion and avoid direct sun. Continue reading...

Sudden shifts from wet to dry weather, or vice versa, may foil typical drought and flooding prevention measuresRising temperatures may trigger a dangerous increase in “hydroclimatic whiplash” in rivers that would make traditional approaches to flood and drought planning insufficient, a study has found.As temperatures rise owing to the worsening climate crisis, rivers will experience increasingly rapid transitions between heavy downpours and long dry spells – called hydroclimatic whiplash events – because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, intensifying rainfall extremes. Continue reading...

Heatwave conditions build over much of continent, while mild start to winter continues in parts of AustraliaHot weather is expected across Europe this week as heatwave conditions build over large swathes of the continent.A mass of hot air from the Sahara has settled over the Iberian peninsula and spread into southern and western France, pushing temperatures widely into the low- and mid-30s celsius. Continue reading...

Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAntarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels.One expert said the loss of ice in the Bellingshausen Sea was “depressing” and the failure of ice to form could have intensified a heatwave over the continent’s peninsular last week that saw daytime temperatures peak at 15.4C which is more than 20C above average. Continue reading...

Five of the deaths were by drowning while two people died competing in sporting eventsSeven people have died in France in an extreme early-summer heat event that is affecting a swathe of western Europe, as France and the UK set record highs for May and temperatures were forecast to rise further on Tuesday.“What I can say today is that there have been seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heat,” the government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, told French television TF1, adding that five of the deaths were by drowning. Continue reading...

Parts of Spain could also see the mercury climb to 40C by the end of the weekMore than 20 towns in France have recorded their highest-ever May temperatures and the UK set a national heat record amid an extreme early-summer heat event that could see the mercury climb to 40C in parts of Spain by the end of the week.The UK’s Met Office said the country’s all-time temperature record for May was broken on Monday when a temperature of 33.5C was recorded at Heathrow near London, with highs of up to 35C expected later on Monday and on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Forecasters say temperatures could hit 34C on Monday, with amber health alerts in place across much of EnglandA heatwave is expected to be declared in parts of the UK on Sunday, with temperatures nearing May records.The Met Office said readings at Heathrow at midday on Sunday showed temperatures had reached 28C (82F) across three consecutive days – the threshold for declaring a heatwave. Continue reading...

Almost 19m drivers expected to hit roads over long weekend, with heaviest traffic likely to be on Friday and SaturdayAn especially hot late May bank holiday weekend is expected to bring even more traffic to the roads than usual at the start of the half-term break taking place in parts of the UK, motoring organisations have warned.With temperatures forecast to pass 30C in places by Monday, coastal roads are predicted to be among the busiest, with long queues expected towards seaside resorts and the Port of Dover, where delays in border checks are compounding the holiday rush. Continue reading...

Following early showers, the UK braces for a sunny spell with temperatures reaching 24°C. April's extreme dryness in the east contrasts with heavy rain in the west and north, highlighting climatic imbalances. Warmer weather is expected midweek, with a shift to milder air by Thursday, potentially peaking at 24°C by Friday.

Seville could see 34C this week and parts of Brazil could hit high 30s, while storms forecast in southern AfricaOver the course of this week, temperatures in Spain are expected to soar well above the seasonal average. Daytime temperatures could reach about 30C in Madrid on Tuesday, 10C above the norm, while Seville may see 34C, about 9C above its late April average. An area of low pressure situated out in the Atlantic will allow for a south-westerly flow, introducing warm air from north Africa. In addition to this heat, a notable dust plume is expected to travel northwards from the Sahara, covering the skies above Iberia and south-western France, which may lead to some particularly orange or red skies at sunrise and sunset.In Brazil, high temperatures are forecast for the states of São Paulo, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul and Santa Catarina over the next few days, eventually spreading into Minas Gerais. Here, daytime maximum temperatures are expected to reach the high 30s Celsius later in the week, about 5-10C above the seasonal average. Continue reading...

South-east England could reach 24C as short period of settled weather replaces rain and 70mph windsParts of the UK are set to enjoy the warmest temperatures of the year so far in the wake of Storm Dave, which caused widespread damage and disruption over the Easter weekend.London and south-east England could reach temperatures of 21C or 22C on Tuesday, rising to 24C on Wednesday, while Manchester could hit 20C, say forecasters, as a short period of settled weather replaces the rain and 70mph winds that battered parts of northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Continue reading...

Researchers warn the high-pressure conditions could disrupt marine life and ecosystems if it continuesSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxFor more than a century, shoreline stations operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have measured water temperatures along the California coast. This year, they are flashing a warning sign.Over the last three months, several stations have repeatedly posted record-breaking daily high temperatures – with the La Jolla station registering temperatures a full 10F above historical average at one point last month. Continue reading...

• Yuma, Arizona, hit a March record of 109°F on March 25, 2026, 28 degrees above normal, while sites near Yuma, Martinez Lake, Ogilby, and Winterhaven reached 112°F, tying the US high. • Sweltering conditions extended across several Southwest states and into Mexico, with Hermosillo setting a new March record at 108°F. • This extreme early heat signals intensifying climate patterns, challenging weather records and infrastructure in arid regions.

• The El Niño weather pattern is likely to develop this summer and persist through 2026, elevating global temperatures and disrupting regional weather worldwide. • Scientists indicate this event could exacerbate warming trends, following a new study addressing whether global warming is accelerating. • The pattern matters for US agriculture, water resources, and extreme weather risks, with potential for hotter summers across the nation.