Portugal Shatters May Heat Record as Extreme Heatwave Grips Europe
Portugal has broken its record for the hottest day ever recorded in May, with temperatures hitting 40.3C in the central town of Mora on Wednesday, as an intense heatwave sweeps across western Europe.
The temperature surpasses the previous May record of 40C, set in 2001, and marks an alarming early start to what scientists warn could be another punishing European summer. Parts of Portugal are expected to remain above 35C through Thursday and Friday before conditions begin to ease, according to the nation’s meteorological office.
France has been particularly hard hit. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu chaired a ministerial meeting on Thursday to develop a readiness plan for extreme heat events, including strategies for combating forest fires and ensuring adequate water supplies over the coming months. Seventeen departments across the north-west of the country and Paris have been placed under an orange alert, signalling that residents should be “very vigilant” about conditions.
The impact on daily life has been immediate and disruptive. A primary school in Souston, in the Landes region of south-western France, was forced to close on Thursday and Friday after indoor temperatures reached a staggering 53C earlier in the week. The national secondary teachers’ union reported that nearly 78 percent of schools had recorded temperatures above 30C, with some teachers resorting to bringing in their own fans and using screwdrivers to prise open sealed windows.
Despite the extreme conditions, French baccalaureate exams have continued as scheduled. Education Minister Édouard Geffray defended the decision, telling BFMTV that exam centres could select rooms with better shading and that students were prepared for the timetable. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from education unions, who argue that student welfare should take precedence over scheduling commitments.
In Paris, where temperatures are forecast to reach 33C on Thursday and climb to 34C over the weekend, police have implemented emergency traffic measures. Only lower-emission vehicles are being permitted on roads, speed limits have been lowered, and a single fare for the entire public transport network has been introduced to encourage residents to leave their cars at home.
The heat has also disrupted elite sport. Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner was forced to retire from his French Open match after suffering from dizziness and lethargy in the sweltering Parisian conditions. The Italian appeared to be cruising towards victory before hitting a wall physically. “It was a tough spot to be in,” he said afterwards, though he played down the role of the weather, adding: “Really it was nothing against the heat… it was just me today.”
Italy has issued its first red heatwave alert of the year for Rome, Florence, Bologna, Brescia and Turin, warning of “possible negative effects on the health of healthy, active people.” Temperatures in the Italian capital are expected to reach 32C on Thursday.
Spain has not officially declared a heatwave, but the national meteorological office has acknowledged that current temperatures are more typical of July and August than late May. Madrid is forecast to hit 35C over the weekend.
The immediate cause of the extreme weather is a “heat dome” — a high-pressure system that becomes trapped in place, trapping warm air beneath it. While linking individual weather events to climate change remains scientifically complex, researchers are unanimous that global warming is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting.
Copernicus, the European Union’s climate service, reports that Europe has been warming at a rate of 0.56C per decade over the past thirty years — a pace sufficient to make heat extremes significantly more severe than they were a generation ago. The United Nations warned on Thursday that global average temperatures are likely to remain at or near record levels this year and for the next four years, with a new hottest-ever year “likely” before 2031.
The 11 hottest years on record have all occurred since 2015, a trend that climate scientists say shows no sign of reversing. As European governments scramble to adapt infrastructure, protect vulnerable populations and maintain essential services during these events, the question is no longer whether such heatwaves will recur, but how often and how severely.
Image Source: MYJOYONLINE
