Extreme Heat Chokes Europe: Temperatures Reach Up to 40 °C in Several Countries 0 11

The end of May and the beginning of June in Spain are marked by predominantly stable weather. The consolidated data from the state meteorological agency AEMET for this Sunday and the first days of the following week indicate a predominance of clear skies.

Precipitation will be almost entirely limited to the eastern areas of the Pyrenees and the Iberian mountain system, where daytime cloud development will lead to brief showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon, some of which may be strong.

In terms of temperature background, the figures remain high, but within the expected values for this time of year in the north and center of the Iberian Peninsula – from 30 to 34 °C.

At the same time, in the low-lying areas of the northeast and in the inland regions of the southern half of the country, the heat will be felt most acutely: temperatures are expected to exceed 36 °C everywhere, and in the Guadalquivir Valley, the temperature will exceed 40 °C.

Minimum temperatures will drop slightly in the northwest part of the country, alleviating the tropical nights that were recorded in previous days. According to AEMET, in June, July, and August, temperatures are highly likely to be above the climatic norm.

Heat Wave and Critical Conditions in Portugal, Italy, and Greece

In the rest of the Mediterranean arc and in the west of the Iberian Peninsula, the warming is much more pronounced, creating an episode of extreme heat that is atypical for the beginning of the summer season.

In Portugal, record values above 40 °C have been recorded in the inland and southern regions, such as Alentejo, prompting the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) to raise risk levels and tighten restrictions on outdoor activities during midday hours.

Further east, high-pressure areas have settled over Italy, while the influx of air from the Sahara has blocked the usual atmospheric circulation. The country's Ministry of Health declared a red alert level for Rome and four other provincial capitals last Thursday due to temperatures in densely populated urban areas approaching 38 °C.

In France, during the previous stage of the Roland Garros tournament in Paris, temperatures reached maximum values, making it extremely difficult to hold matches for both athletes and fans.

Heat strokes during matches at the Roland Garros tournament. Novak Djokovic, May 30, 2026. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Such heat has prompted many Parisians to discover the Seine as a natural swimming pool, despite the awareness of the sanitary issues this may entail.

A similar situation is unfolding in Greece: the combination of dry winds and temperatures remaining above 39 °C in the central plains raises concerns not only due to the threat to public health but also due to the increasing water stress on the country's energy infrastructure.

The "Heat Dome" Factor and Wildfire Risk

The persistence of abnormally high temperatures at the beginning of the European summer is directly related to the formation of the so-called "heat dome."

This meteorological phenomenon traps warm air under a zone of stable high pressure, preventing Atlantic fronts that could cool the land surface from passing through, and intensifies the impact of solar radiation on the European continent.

As a result, the risk level of wildfires across the Mediterranean sharply increases. An additional threat comes from so-called dry thunderstorms, which can ignite fires.

The rapid loss of soil moisture combined with an abundance of fine dry vegetation that has grown in late spring raises flammability indices to very high or extreme values, keeping firefighting and emergency response services from the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkans on high alert.