politics
Western Europe Forecast to See Above-Average Heat While Typhoon Bavi Crosses Pacific Islands
Temperatures across Spain, Portugal, France and southern UK are forecast to reach 10-15C above average this week, with overnight lows remaining above 20C in many areas. Super Typhoon Bavi made landfall on Rota after crossing Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands with winds up to 178 mph.
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A heat surge spread across western Europe over the weekend of 4-5 July 2026, with Spain, Portugal and France already experiencing high temperatures and southern parts of the UK joining the spell on Monday. The Guardian reported that temperatures are forecast to reach 10-15C above average across the affected regions, with highs approaching 40C in the hottest parts of France and Spain and the UK expected to reach the low- to mid-30s Celsius.
Overnight temperatures are forecast to remain above 20C in many areas, classified as tropical nights.
In Madrid, overnight lows are forecast to remain as high as 25C, almost 9C above the seasonal average of 16.5C. In France, many areas are expected to remain in the low- to mid-20s Celsius overnight, about 7-9C above the 1991–2020 average. Nantes is forecast to experience minimum temperatures unlikely to drop below 10C above the seasonal norm.
Overnight temperatures in southern England and Wales cities are expected to remain above 20C into the weekend. Super Typhoon Bavi crossed the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam before making landfall on Rota on Sunday night. The Guardian reported that analysis on Sunday recorded sustained winds of 178 mph, with gusts reaching 218 mph.
Forecasts warn of waves rising to 10.7 metres, coastal inundation reaching 3.7 metres and torrential rainfall exceeding 200 mm. Bavi is expected to retain super-typhoon strength until Wednesday before weakening and curving north-west towards Taiwan.
Coastal flood warnings for areas affected by Bavi will remain in effect on Wednesday afternoon, with high surf warnings expected to continue into Thursday.
