The UK and Europe have been plunged into an 'extraordinary' new climate, with two blistering heatwaves in May and June setting records tumbling. Unprecedented temperatures swept across the continent, driven by the relentless release of greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.
In the UK, June's sweltering heat was particularly notable, with provisional figures showing a peak of 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk – surpassing the previous record of 35.6C set in 1957 and tied in 1976. Professor Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the UK Met Office, described such temperatures in June as 'sobering', with human-induced climate change making these events more likely and intense.
The scale of these heatwaves was further underscored by how far temperatures rose above normal across the UK – especially in southern England and South Wales. Professor Ed Hawkins of climate science at the University of Reading highlighted the unusual magnitude of these record breaks, stating: "We normally expect records to be broken by small amounts – tenths, maybe up to a degree or so." To see them shattered by such large margins is both noticeable and extraordinary, he added.
Beyond daytime highs, the recent heatwaves brought a challenging combination of high temperatures and humidity, making it difficult for the body to cool down through sweating. Night-time temperatures also remained unusually high, hindering sleep and recovery. Cardiff recorded its warmest June night ever, with temperatures not dropping below 23.5C – a phenomenon historically very rare in the UK but expected to become more common as global temperatures continue to rise.
Across Europe, the same 'heat dome' responsible for the UK's extreme weather caused records to tumble. Germany's weather service termed it "a heatwave for the history books," while Météo-France described it as "exceptional" and "historic." Over a dozen countries across western, central, and eastern Europe broke their June temperature records, some by significant margins of two or three degrees.
Several nations, including France and Spain, recorded their hottest June days in terms of a national average. Professor Sonia Seneviratne from the Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science at ETH Zurich noted that while unusual compared to historical measurements, as a climate scientist, she was not surprised given the warming climate.