Europe Records Record May Temperatures Under Heat Dome

Southern and southwestern Europe experienced record May temperatures over the weekend, with daytime highs reaching 38°C in parts of Portugal, Spain and France. Northern areas including Germany recorded maximum temperatures above 30°C. France’s Météo-France weather agency identified a heat dome as the cause.

Severe Weather Europe described the system as highly anomalous and powerful, noting temperatures 12-16°C above long-term averages.

A heat dome develops when a high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere forces air to sink and compress. The compressed air warms, expands, and creates a stationary dome that limits cloud formation and vertical mixing. Because the system extends high into the atmosphere, surface winds cannot easily displace it.

This leads to prolonged periods of above-normal temperatures and drier ground conditions.

Forecasters stated the air mass will become even hotter in coming days as the dome intensifies. They said maximum and minimum temperatures could challenge historical monthly records at hundreds of stations across western Europe. A moderate high-temperature warning covers large parts of France. The same pattern is expected to affect additional countries this week.