More than 350 French towns have just shattered their all-time May temperature records, because the universe apparently thinks we haven't had enough reminders about climate change. The UK also got in on the action, with the Met Office confirming that the country's May record fell when the mercury hit a toasty 34.8C at London's Kew Gardens.
Météo France reported late Monday that new monthly highs for May were logged at 352 weather stations, mostly in western France. The highest reading - 37.1C - came near Hossegor in the south-western Landes department. "This is an unprecedented event with a one in 1,000 chance of happening at this time of year based on the climate from 1979 to 2025 and virtually impossible in the preindustrial era," climate scientist Christophe Cassou told Le Monde, presumably while fanning himself.
Forecasters expect more records to fall in France, Spain, and the UK, with temperatures running 12C to 13C above normal. Météo France called it a "premature, remarkable and long" heat episode set to linger for several more days - because nothing says "remarkable" like sweating through May. The agency blamed a heat dome trapping hot air from Morocco under high pressure, and warned that such events will "occur more and more often and earlier and earlier, and to be more and more intense."
Models already show that June heatwaves are now about 10 times more likely in Europe than before industrialization, and May is following the same trajectory. "This extension of the heatwave season is entirely characteristic of the effects of climate change," said climate researcher Robert Vautard. "Eventually, we will be seeing similar heat events in April and October." So mark your calendars for the year-round heatwave season.
Thirty-one of metropolitan France's 96 administrative departments are on high-temperature alert through Tuesday, including eight at orange level - the second-highest - requiring residents to "take precautions." This marks the first time France's national heat warning system has been activated in May since its 2004 debut. Météo-France said temperatures could climb locally to near 36C in multiple towns on Monday, hitting 37C on Tuesday. "The west of the country will see temperatures several degrees higher than ever recorded in May," the agency noted.
The mercury rose past 35C in Niort and Nantes, reached 34.3C in Poitiers, and Paris approached 33C. Much of Brittany expects 33C to 35C on Tuesday. Le Parisien reported that the national temperature average hit a record 24.4C on Monday, beating the previous high of 23.7C from 1944 - though Météo France hasn't confirmed it yet.
Tragedy struck during a 10km race in the Paris suburb of Maisons-Alfort on Sunday: a man died, reportedly from a heart attack, and 10 other runners were hospitalized in critical condition. Civil defence services confirmed the incident.
Spain is also cooking, with southern areas hitting 38C over the weekend - 5C to 10C above normal. Rubén del Campo of the state meteorological office Aemet said the hot spell will continue through the week, possibly intensifying Thursday and Friday with widespread highs of 36-38C in the Guadiana, Guadalquivir, and Ebro valleys, and "in some areas, temperatures could reach 40C." Much of Spain can also expect "tropical nights" where the mercury doesn't dip below 20C.
Parts of the UK could officially enter heatwave territory if temperatures exceed 26C to 28C - depending on location - for three consecutive days. France requires night-time temperatures to stay above a certain level for an official heatwave declaration. Because apparently, we need bureaucratic definitions to tell us it's hot.