The thermometer may rise to 38 degrees!
Europe will be hit by the first wave of heat in 2026. In some areas of Spain, the thermometer will rise to 38°C on May 23 and 24, Deutsche Welle reports. In France and southern England, temperatures are expected to reach up to 33°C, while in Germany, up to 31°C. Climate models show that heat waves in May and June in Europe have now become ten times more likely than in the pre-industrial era.
"Germany serves as a vivid example: a day with a temperature of 30°C around Pentecost (Catholics celebrate it this year on May 24. - Ed.) was a rare occurrence in the 1980s, but now such days happen regularly in the country," says Ioanna Vergini, founder of the meteorological online service WFY24.
She warns that the infrastructure, agriculture, and healthcare systems of European countries are still "tuned to the old calendar" and are not prepared for such high temperatures in spring. For instance, the Minister of the Environment of Lower Saxony, Christian Meyer, has already urged the population to conserve water due to groundwater shortages caused by frequent droughts amid climate change.
