Western Europe braced for first major heat event of summer

Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK were expected to exceed 30C on Friday and into next week, reaching 32C in Paris and London and 35C in south-west France

A person enjoys the warm weather in St James's Park in London on Friday. Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA

Fri, 22 May, 2026 - 12:43

Jon Henley and Sam Jones

A large swathe of western Europe is bracing for the first significant heat event of the summer, with temperatures forecast to rise to more than 10C above the norm and new monthly records for May expected to be set in possibly hundreds of places.

Temperatures across Portugal, Spain, France and the UK were expected to exceed 30C on Friday and into next week, reaching 32C in Paris and London and 35C in south-west France, with highs of up to 38C in the Guadiana and Guadalquivir regions of Spain.