Red warnings are issued in the UK, France, Spain and Italy
An empty street in Toulouse, France, on June 22, 2026. France is experiencing its second heatwave of the year. MeteoFrance reports that this day is expected to be one of the hottest on record.
Alain Pitton | Photo only | Getty Images
Several countries in Europe have issued red weather warnings as a new bout of extreme heat pushes temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), bringing dangerous conditions across much of the world’s fastest-warming continent.
Britain’s Met Office on Monday introduced a rare red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, warning that the country’s highest ever recorded temperature for June is “very likely” to be exceeded in the coming days.
The red warning indicates an exceptional period of hot and humid weather, which may have a negative impact on the health of the entire population and requires significant changes to daily routines.
The British weather forecaster said the mercury temperature could reach at least 39 degrees Celsius this week, while evening temperatures were unlikely to fall below 20 degrees Celsius on consecutive nights.
“Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we expect severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat,” said Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway.
Heat warnings were also issued in France, Spain and Italy, as were similar warnings from authorities in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
At least 18 people died in France, Reuters reported on Monday, and hundreds of schools were ordered to close as weather agency Meteo France warned that a “prolonged and intense” heatwave was now underway.
In Bordeaux in southwest France, temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius on Monday.
A worker drinks water from a plastic bottle at a construction site in Bordeaux, southwestern France, June 22, 2026, as France experiences a severe heatwave.
Christophe Archambault | Afp | Getty Images
In a social media post, Meteo France said 54 regional administrative areas would be under a red heat wave warning on Tuesday, describing it as an “unprecedented number”.
The heat wave in Europe is the second so-called heat dome in just two months and comes as scientists warn that climate change is worsening the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas is the main driver of the climate crisis.
Europe is known to be warming faster than any other continent, twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“Blindingly obvious”
Richard Allan, professor of climate science at Britain’s University of Reading, said that while a heatwave might be expected in June, temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius by 2022 would be unprecedented for the UK.
“While May brought record-breaking dry heat, this week will see a more humid heatwave, making it difficult for people with underlying health conditions to stay cool and critical,” Allan said.
“It is abundantly clear that heat waves will increase in severity as rising greenhouse gases stifle the planet’s ability to lose heat to space,” he continued.
“The greater hunger for water from a warmer atmosphere is also leading to more rapid onset of droughts, but also the intensification of extreme rainfall and associated flooding, as excess water draining from the ground and oceans is channeled into storms that can often be triggered by summer heat.”
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