A spell of unusually high temperatures affected parts of Europe, with France facing heat-related fatalities and Britain recording its hottest day ever for the month of May.
In France, government spokesperson Bregeon said five of the seven fatalities recorded were people who drowned in lakes, rivers or beaches. The government also ordered local authorities to take measures aimed at protecting people during sporting events.
France had been experiencing above-average temperatures since Saturday. Most of Brittany was placed under an orange-level weather warning by Meteo France, which forecast temperatures of up to 36 degrees Celsius on Tuesday afternoon. According to Meteo France, the heatwave was expected to continue through Wednesday and Thursday.
Britain also experienced record-breaking temperatures, with the country’s national weather service saying Monday became the hottest day ever recorded for May, with temperatures nearing 35 degrees Celsius.
The Met Office said temperatures reached 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in west London, provisionally surpassing the previous May record of 32.8 degrees Celsius set in 1922 and matched again in 1944. The day also set a new record for a public holiday, surpassing the previous high of 33.3 degrees Celsius recorded in August 2019.
The Met Office said a study carried out last year found that the chances of exceeding the previous May temperature record had become three times more likely because of changes in climate linked to human greenhouse gas emissions.
“This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid summer, let alone in May,” it said.
As temperatures climbed, swimmers headed to open-air pools while pedestrians sought relief in public fountains. Near the village of Brockworth in south-west England, participants also took part in the annual cheese-rolling contest despite the intense heat.
