New temperature records were set in the United Kingdom and France as a heat wave affects much of Europe. A World Weather Attribution analysis indicated that human-caused climate change has made such extreme heat events "virtually impossible" to occur 50 years ago.
Extreme heat warnings have been issued across Europe, from Ireland to Slovenia. The UN's World Meteorological Organization stated that the heatwave is expected to spread over large parts of Western, Central, and Southern Europe in the coming weeks. Spain reported at least 212 heat-related deaths, while Italy recorded five deaths linked to the heat. France reported 40 drowning deaths associated with unsupervised swimming as it set new temperature records, with officials warning of a high risk of wildfires due to drought conditions.
According to the World Weather Attribution, 45% of cities analyzed across 30 European countries have already reached or are predicted to exceed their highest recorded heat stress levels. The analysis noted that the likelihood of sweltering overnight temperatures is about 100 times greater today than it was during the 2003 European heatwave, with daytime peaks being about ten times more likely.
France recorded its hottest night on record, with an average temperature of 38.5°C (101°F). The country also experienced its hottest day on record, with an average national temperature of 30°C (86°F), surpassing previous records. The town of Palluau in western France reached 43.8°C (110.84°F), marking the hottest day ever recorded in the country.
In the U.K., a new maximum temperature record for June was set at 36.7°C (98.06°F) in Merryfield, Somerset. The Met Office noted that several weather stations exceeded the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976 and 1957.
The World Weather Attribution analysis found that if this June's heat wave had occurred in 1976, temperatures would have been approximately 3.5°C cooler. Researchers stated that the current El Niño-Southern Oscillation phase did not contribute to this week's heat.
Scientists compared today's climate with those of 2003 and 1976 to assess how much human-caused climate change has increased the likelihood of extreme heat events. Research indicates that heat waves are becoming hotter, more frequent, and longer lasting due to climate change. Theodore Keeping, an extreme weather and wildfire researcher at Imperial College London, stated that continued fossil-fuel emissions are directly responsible for the disruptions experienced this week in various aspects of life.