Western Europe is preparing for an unusually early surge of extreme heat, with forecasters warning that temperatures could rise more than 10°C above seasonal averages in May, breaking long-standing records in several countries.
According to forecasts, temperatures in Portugal, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom are expected to exceed 30°C on Friday and into next week, with 32°C predicted in Paris and London, and up to 35°C in southwestern France.
In Spain, temperatures could reach up to 38°C in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions.
France’s national weather service, Météo-France, said the extreme temperatures are being caused by a “heat dome” extending north from Morocco across the Iberian Peninsula toward France.
“Since Thursday, May 21, warm air has gradually moved over France from Morocco via the Iberian Peninsula and remains trapped under high pressure, creating a blocking atmospheric pattern.”
“This high pressure acts like a lid, trapping warm air and heating it through compression. This is known as a heat dome. In descending currents, air sinks. As it compresses toward the lower layers of the atmosphere, it heats up,” the meteorological service explained.
The French weather agency has warned that record-breaking temperatures are “almost certain,” both for the highest temperature ever recorded in May in France and for the highest daily average temperature for the month.
