Unusually Early Heatwave Breaks Records and Causes Fatalities in Europe

(Patria) - The United Kingdom on Tuesday broke a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours as a spring heatwave hit parts of Western Europe, prompting government warnings about life-threatening dangers. Several drownings were reported in the UK and France as people sought to cool off, AP reported.

A temperature of 35.1 degrees Celsius (95.2 Fahrenheit) was recorded in London's Kew Gardens, the UK's Met Office weather service said, breaking the previous record of 34.8 C (94.6 F) set a day earlier in Kew. The provisional readings broke the long-standing record of 32.8 C (91 F) set in 1922 and matched in 1944.

London also recorded a rare "tropical night," defined as one where the temperature does not drop below 20 C (68 F).

Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 36 C (96.8 F) in the southwest of the country on Monday and generally remained above 20 C at night.

The national weather service, Météo-France, said a "heat dome," in which heat trapped by a high-pressure weather front, was producing temperatures more than 10 degrees Celsius above normal for this time of year.

Unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent as the Earth warms. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes, sometimes hitting at abnormal times and in unusual places, are putting more people at risk.

"We know without any doubt that heatwaves like this have become more likely and more severe because of climate change resulting from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases," said Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University in Ireland.

"But still, many of the records being set, particularly in the UK and France, are incredibly wild," he said.

After a long weekend that sent people in the UK flocking to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters on Tuesday crammed into air-conditioner-less subway cars. Trains to and from the busy Waterloo station were disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

In Scotland, firefighters battled overnight to extinguish a wildfire on Arthur's Seat, a rocky hill overlooking Edinburgh.

The UK Health Security Agency issued a yellow health alert for large parts of the country until Thursday, warning of potential health risks, especially among the elderly, during the hottest parts of the day. The UK is accustomed to moderate temperatures, and many homes, schools and businesses lack air conditioning.

At least four teenagers died in suspected drownings in UK lakes and reservoirs, and a man in his 60s died at sea in southwest England, authorities said.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said there were reports of at least seven deaths potentially linked to the high temperatures, including five drownings and two deaths during sports events.

The early heatwave hit before the annual summer period when lifeguards watch over swimmers at popular beaches, increasing risks.

On the French Atlantic coast, where majestic beaches have powerful waves, officials reported a series of wave-related emergencies, with two drowning deaths on Sunday in popular resorts in the Gironde region in the southwest.

Senior regional administrator Sophie Brocas urged beachgoers "to be extremely vigilant."

The unusual heat has spread to Spain, where meteorological service spokesperson Rubén del Campo said: "We have temperatures that we would normally see in mid-summer now in May."

He said Seville reached 38 C (100.4 F) over the weekend, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula had temperatures five to 10 degrees Celsius above normal.