By the numbers: What to know about Europe's heat wave
Much of western Europe has been baking under a "heat dome" this week, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in many places.
The extreme conditions have come in June, earlier in the summer than is usual. Records are tumbling by day and by night. Add in the humidity and it's more tropical than temperate.
The heat is coming up from north Africa, into Spain and France, and hitting those countries like the U.K, Belgium and the Netherlands that are just not used to this kind of oppressive heat.
And there's more to come over the coming days before conditions turn a tad fresher. The records could be broken again.
And we're still only in June. July and August, the traditional height of the European summer, are still to come.
Here are some standout numbers that illustrate the depth and breadth of the heat wave.
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23.5 — What's making this particular heat wave so uncomfortable is the scale of the humidity, which inhibits the body's natural cooling via sweat. That is a particular problem at night, especially in those countries where air conditioning is not really a thing, such as the U.K. The Met Office, the country's national forecaster, said the country recorded its highest June minimum temperature of 23.5 C (73.4 F) at Bute Park, Cardiff. In England, temperatures in Plymouth only dropped to 23.0 C (73.4 F), provisionally setting a new English record for the highest June minimum temperature.
26.2 — Germany has had it even worse with the record for the warmest night equaled. The German Weather Service says the temperature didn't go below 26.2 C in Bad Bergzabern, in Rhineland-Palatinate in the west of the country. That equals a record dating back to July 2019.
30 — France has arguably borne the brunt of the heat with three-quarters of the country under a red alert until at least Friday. On Wednesday, France recorded its hottest day ever. The Meteo France weather agency said the national thermal indicator — an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit 30 C (86 F) for the first time ever. This record could be broken on Thursday with forecasters expecting the mercury to reach 40 to 42 C (104 to 108 F) in several places.
31 — Formula 1 is designated the upcoming Austrian Grand Prix a "heat hazard" as it's likely to be over 31 C (87.8 F) on Sunday, the trigger that requires drivers to carry extra cooling equipment. This will be the first time these rules have been applied to a European F1 race, though they were only introduced a year ago.
36.1 — The U.K. recorded its hottest June day, with 36.1 C (96.9 F) reported at Gosport in southern England. That record is widely expected to be beaten over the coming couple of days as the Met Office has extended its red alert for heat in much of central and southern England, as well as Wales.
43.7 — Perhaps no other country in Europe, bar maybe Greece, is used to heat waves as much as Spain. This current bout of heat wave is even hitting Spain's normally more temperate northern regions along the Atlantic coast. An all-time record 43.7 C (110 F) was recorded earlier this week in the village of Tama in the small Cantabrian region, known for its cooler weather and green landscape.
1887 — Ireland's all-time record temperature could be "challenged" on Thursday, according to Met Éireann meteorologist Gerry Murphy. The highest temperature recorded in the Republic of Ireland was 33.3C (91.9 F) at Kilkenny Castle on June 26, 1887.
Source: Associated Press
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