Europe Braces for Severe Heat Dome as Spain, Portugal Face 45C and France Nears June Record

A major heat wave is expected to hit Europe this weekend as a so-called heat dome traps hot air from the Sahara over much of the continent. The phenomenon is forecast to last through the rest of June, pushing temperatures far above seasonal norms in the Iberian Peninsula and major western European capitals, while also worsening drought and raising wildfire risk.

Forecasters say the heat dome forms when a broad high-pressure system stalls over a large area and traps hot air beneath it. Meteorologists compared it to “a lid on a pot,” saying it keeps hot air confined at all levels and forces it downward, making it even hotter near the ground. Dry land left over from May’s heat is expected to intensify the warming because evaporation cannot cool the surface normally.

Spain and Portugal are preparing for temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius early next week. France is also expecting severe heat, with Paris and other cities likely to see 30 to 40 degrees, about 10 to 15 degrees above the seasonal average. French forecasters believe the current event could break the country’s June temperature record of 37.6 degrees, set in 1947.

Britain will also be affected, with alerts issued across large parts of the country. In southeast England, temperatures are expected to rise above 30 degrees, and some areas could reach 32 degrees on Sunday and Monday. The UK Met Office, which has been tracking the event closely after record heat in May, said: “This is one of the most extreme high temperature events in our observational records.”