WESTERN EUROPE — The United Kingdom recorded a temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius (95.2 degrees Fahrenheit) at London’s Kew Gardens on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, breaking the previous day’s record of 34.8°C and surpassing the long-standing May high of 32.8°C set in 1922 and matched in 1944. France also experienced extreme heat, with temperatures reaching 36°C (97°F) in the southwest on Monday, May 25.
The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for large parts of the country through Thursday, May 28, warning of potential health risks, particularly for older people during peak heat hours. London recorded a rare “tropical night,” with temperatures not falling below 20°C (68°F), while nighttime temperatures across France also remained widely above that threshold.
At least four teenagers died in apparent drownings in U.K. lakes and reservoirs, and a 60-year-old man died in the sea in southwest England. French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said there have been reports of at least seven deaths potentially related to high temperatures, including five drownings and two deaths in sports competitions. Two of the drowning deaths occurred on Sunday in the Gironde region of southwest France.
Météo-France attributed the heat to a “heat dome” caused by a high-pressure weather front, producing temperatures more than 10°C above normal for late May. The early timing of the heat wave increased risks, as it occurred before lifeguards were stationed at popular beaches. Many homes, schools, and businesses in the U.K. lack air conditioning due to historically moderate temperatures.
Seville, Spain, recorded 38°C (100°F) over the weekend of May 24–25, and large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal for May. Rome was expected to reach 32°C (89.6°F) on Tuesday.
Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Ireland, said: “We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that heat wave events such as this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change arising from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases.”