From Europe To India, What’s Driving The Record-Breaking Heatwaves Across Continents

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 05:46 IST

The sudden spike in temperatures has already been linked to multiple deaths in France, including several drowning incidents as people sought relief from the heat in open water.

From the densely packed concrete sprawl of Delhi-NCR to the usually mild temperature streets of London, an unforgiving summer is pushing cities across continents to their limits. On Monday, New Delhi recorded its warmest night in 14 years, while London crossed a historic 35 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest May day ever recorded in the UK. Across Asia and Europe, an intense wave of extreme heat is exposing the growing vulnerability of modern cities, strained infrastructure and millions of residents struggling through dangerously high temperatures.

The intensity of the early-summer heatwave has alarmed both meteorologists and residents as northern India enters ‘Nautapa’ — the traditional nine-day period considered the hottest phase of summer. Temperatures are soaring between 40 and 46 degrees Celsius across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, with some areas likely to approach 48 degrees Celsius.

The extreme conditions come after a punishing month in which all 50 of the world’s hottest cities on a particular day were located in India, underlining the severity of the region’s heat crisis.

At the same time, western Europe is witnessing unprecedented weather conditions of its own. The United Kingdom broke its all-time May temperature record for two consecutive days after temperatures touched 35.1 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in southwest London — just a day after surpassing a record that had stood since 1944.

France also recorded unusually high temperatures, with weather agencies warning that the heatwave could continue through the week and push temperatures close to 39 degrees Celsius.

The sudden spike in temperatures has already been linked to multiple deaths in France, including several drowning incidents as people sought relief from the heat in open water.

Why Is Europe Sweltering?

Meteorologists say Europe’s unusually early and intense summer is being driven by a massive high-pressure system that is trapping hot air flowing in from North Africa. The system is effectively acting like a lid over western Europe, preventing cooler air from circulating and allowing temperatures to build relentlessly across the region.

The heatwave also reflects a deeper climate shift. Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that Europe has been the fastest-warming continent since 1990, with Asia not far behind. Scientists warn that rising baseline temperatures are increasingly colliding with infrastructure and urban planning that were designed for much milder climates.

Experts at the London School of Economics say many parts of northern Europe are now experiencing summers closer to Mediterranean conditions, despite homes, offices and public infrastructure never being built to withstand prolonged extreme heat.

Climatologists warn that as average temperatures continue to rise, the number of days the UK experiences temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius will increase sharply, making once-unthinkable extremes — including 40-degree heatwaves — far more likely in the coming years.

The shift is also triggering a broader cultural change across Europe, where air conditioning was historically seen as unnecessary. Faced with repeated heatwaves, residents across the region are now increasingly turning to cooling systems as cities struggle to adapt to a rapidly warming climate.

The Indian Subcontinent: A Multi-Layered Climate Crisis

While Europe grapples with unusually high temperatures, India’s intense heatwave is being driven by a combination of atmospheric conditions, rapid urbanisation, and geographical vulnerabilities.

Meteorologists say a persistent atmospheric “heat dome" is trapping hot air over large parts of the country, preventing it from dispersing and suppressing the formation of cooling pre-monsoon clouds. The lingering effects of El Niño have also weakened early seasonal rainfall, worsening heat conditions across northern India.

Adding to the crisis is the absence of the usual Western Disturbances — weather systems that typically bring moisture and cooler winds from the Himalayan region. Without these systems, the northern plains have remained unusually dry, allowing temperatures to rise rapidly.

The impact is especially severe in major urban centres such as Delhi, where the urban heat island effect is intensifying conditions. Vast stretches of concrete, asphalt and glass absorb heat throughout the day and release it slowly at night, keeping temperatures abnormally high even after sunset and leading to record-breaking nighttime heat.

In central and coastal regions, soaring temperatures combined with high humidity are creating dangerous “wet-bulb" conditions. Under such circumstances, sweat cannot evaporate efficiently, weakening the body’s natural cooling system and significantly increasing health risks for people exposed to outdoor heat for long periods.

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