Britain recorded its hottest day of the year, with temperatures in west London reaching 38.1 degrees Celsius, marking the country's fifth-hottest day on record. France also experienced extreme heat, with temperatures soaring past 42 degrees Celsius in some areas and reaching 38 degrees Celsius in Paris. In response, France has put 80 départements on orange alert. Both nations are experiencing their fifth heatwave of an exceptional summer, with Britain's first recorded in May.
Large parts of Europe are sweltering, with more than 135 million people forecast to face temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius. Nearly three out of five European residents are set to experience temperatures surpassing 30 degrees Celsius. As the fastest-warming continent in the world, some regions in Europe remain ill-equipped to deal with such extreme hot weather.
This summer is expected to be the hottest on record, characterized by repeat heatwaves and widespread drought conditions. These conditions have shrivelled crops, drained rivers, and heaped pressure on water resources. Furthermore, the extreme weather has fuelled a historically hot summer of wildfires and contributed to the deaths of thousands of people.