2026 European heatwaves

Starting in late May, parts of Europe have been affected by heatwaves.^[1] Climate change has been cited as a contributing factor to the earlier onset of summer^[2]. Western Europe is the most affected area, with record-breaking temperatures^[3] and heatstroke deaths^[4] occurring in France.^[5][6] The onset of these heatwaves closely mirrors the timing of the onset of the 2025 European heatwaves, with the first major heatwave occurring on May 22,^[7] six days before the 2025 European heatwaves began. Other countries experiencing irregularly high temperatures are Portugal reaching 40 degrees Celsius, Spain expected to reach 38 degrees.^[8] The United Kingdom^[9] broke records on 25 May when the highest May temperature ever recorded in Greater London was recorded in Kew Gardens at 34.8C, exceeding the previous record by two degrees.^{[10] [11]} Ireland saw its highest May temperature on record, with both Clonmel and Killarney recording 28.8C, beating the previous May record of 28.4C in Kerry in 1997, with even higher temperatures expected.^[12] The Irish weather office Met Eireann reported that the temperature in south Ireland is five standard deviations over the May average.^[13]