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Red Alerts Issued as Heatwave Affects UK, France, Spain and Italy
A heat dome trapped hot air over Western Europe on 24 June 2026. Red alerts were issued in parts of four countries while temperatures hit 39 °C in Madrid. Authorities cancelled events and imposed local restrictions.
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A heatwave gripped much of Europe on 24 June 2026, with red alerts issued in parts of the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy, Al Jazeera reported. A persistent high-pressure system known as a heat dome trapped hot air over Western Europe while air moving north from North Africa added to the temperatures.
Unusually warm seas around the UK, Ireland, France and the western Mediterranean kept coastal areas hot, especially at night.
Temperatures reached 39 °C in Madrid, prompting officials to cancel a World Cup fan zone screening there. A localised alcohol ban took effect in parts of France under red alert. Germany issued nationwide heat warnings the same day.
Daily average temperatures in western France, England and Wales rose more than 12 °C above the 1991-2020 baseline, according to Copernicus data cited by Al Jazeera. Coastal waters around Spain reached record warm levels, Spain’s port authority reported. Only about 20 percent of European homes have air conditioning.
Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising by approximately 0.56 °C per decade since the mid-1990s, Al Jazeera reported. Weather stations measure air temperature with platinum resistance thermometers inside Stevenson screens at 1.25-2 metres above the ground.
