A CONTINENTAL HEATWAVE is sweeping across Europe, with many countries already feeling the burn of soaring temperatures and extreme conditions.

France is facing a week of exceptionally hot weather, with temperatures set to exceed 38 degrees before the weekend, according to state-owned media outlet France 24.  

Extreme heat is also set to hit the Iberian peninsula, with temperatures expected to reach over 40 in Spain and Portugal. 

The mercury will also be hitting the mid-30s in parts of England and Wales, according to a rare extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office.

This comes after a series of heatwaves across the continent earlier this summer, with Spain recording the hottest May since the beginning of the century.

Such unusually hot and dry conditions have been wreaking havoc across Europe in recent weeks.

Temperatures of ten degrees were recorded at the summit of the Marmolada glacier in the Italian Alps for the first time ever, causing part of the glacier to collapse and killing at least seven people.

Meanwhile, intense heat has sparked multiple forest fires and several bush fires in central and northern Portugal, with roughly 1,500 firefighters being deployed to tackle the blazes yesterday.

The fires have injured approximately a dozen firefighters and 20 civilians.

Forecast 

Met Éireann meteorologist Paul Downes says the extreme heat on the continent and in parts of the UK is predicted to last into early next week.

He said that these extreme weather events come as “no surprise” to meteorologists and climate experts worldwide, with climatologists blaming the increased frequency and intensity of these happenings on climate change.

While Met Éireann’s long-range forecast, covering the next four weeks, indicates that temperatures will likely be around average for the time of year across Ireland, Downes said that the mercury could rise to the mid, potentially high twenties, later this week.

Speaking to The Journal, he said that meteorologists are observing more “stubborn” weather patterns than previous years, with higher and lower atmospheric pressure lasting for longer periods of time, which can in part explain the extreme heat experienced across Europe.

According to Met Éireann’s predictions, low pressure will start to push in on the affected countries next week, lowering temperatures and offering some relief.

Ireland has just experienced its warmest days of the year during this recent hot spell.

Downes said that although the country has not had to face the same colossal disturbances caused by climate change as many of our European counterparts, that does not mean we won’t in the future.

“While we think Ireland is benign and we are glad of warmer temperatures, the risk of severe weather events is gradually on the increase,” he said.

“Nothing is imminent, but there is potential.”

According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming has caused an increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events.

The world has already warmed by about 1 degree Celsius since pre-industrial times due to human activity, and the IPCC has warned that global heating is virtually certain to pass 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, probably within a decade.

The impacts of climate change are already causing severe and widespread disruption around the world and the panel has said drastic action is needed to avoid mounting loss of life, biodiversity and infrastructure.