UK and France brace for fifth heatwave as temperatures hit 40C

The UK and France are preparing for their fifth heatwave of the season, following a series of extreme heat events since May that have heightened the risk of wildfires, prolonged drought, and heat-related mortality across Europe. According to the Associated Press, the French national weather service, Météo-France, forecasts temperatures reaching approximately 40C in the country's southeast starting Tuesday. In the UK, an amber heat-health alert comes into effect for most of England on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to peak at 36C later in the week. In France, the first heatwave alert was issued in May, during which more than half the country recorded new temperature highs. Public Health France reported at least 5,700 excess deaths in June. Météo-France also noted that 23 June was the hottest day ever recorded in the country, with temperatures reaching 44.3C in the southwest. Two subsequent heatwaves in July fuelled historic wildfires in southwestern France, forcing 220,000 people to evacuate in one of the largest such operations in Europe since the Second World War. In the UK, while temperatures were slightly lower on Monday, officials are bracing for the fifth heatwave of an unusually hot and dry summer. Half of England and all of Wales are currently in a state of drought. The heat alert warns of significant consequences for health services and increased mortality among the elderly and vulnerable. Two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June resulted in more than 2,800 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures. Data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and the Copernicus Climate Change Service show that the average temperature in Western Europe during June and July reached 21.62C, breaking the 2022 record. Additionally, the average sea surface temperature in oceans outside polar regions reached a record 20.96C in July, surpassing the 20.8C record set in July 2023. Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, stated that persistent high-pressure systems have trapped heat over Western Europe, while widespread drought has exacerbated the extreme temperatures. She explained that dry soil reduces the earth's natural cooling capacity, allowing heat to accumulate more easily—a trend she described as a clear example of climate change intensifying heat events. Climate statistics indicate that 2026 is currently the third-hottest year on record, following 2024 and 2025. Scientists suggest that the combination of human-induced global warming and the El Niño phenomenon increases the likelihood that 2026 could become the hottest year on record by the end of the year.