Temperatures hit record highs for May in Britain and France on Monday, with forecasters warning of a long spell of heatwaves across Europe for the rest of the week.
A so-called warm dome of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high pressure system in western Europe is behind high temperatures not seen until summer.
Temperatures in Spain were expected to rise later this week to 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Celsius), while parts of Italy imposed restrictions on working outdoors.
“The weather here, it’s like a mini version of hell. It’s boiling. It’s like really hot,” said 10-year-old Liza Nizari on a visit to London, where temperatures average 17 or 18 degrees this time of year.
Lindy Brand-Daloze, a 66-year-old Australian manager who has lived in London for 12 years, said: “It’s hot, but it’s climate change, isn’t it?
The Met Office said Monday was the hottest May day on record, with the mercury rising to 33.5 degrees at Heathrow, west of the capital, at 1am – 1.3 degrees higher than previous highs recorded in 1922 and 1944.
