It's so hot across Europe, you can see the heat wave from space | Space photo of the day for May 29, 2026

The heat wave spreading across Europe, as seen in Sentinel-3 satellite data. (Image credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA) Europe is experiencing a serious heat wave at the moment, and we have the satellite data to prove it. In new data from Europe's Sentinel-3 mission, we can see the scorching temperatures spreading across the continent . What is it? Severe weather alerts are in effect across Western Europe as millions cope with extreme temperatures. This new image uses data from the Sentinel-3 mission to show in vibrant color just how extreme and far-reaching this heat has been. The Northern Hemisphere hasn't yet made it to summer, but temperatures in Southern Europe are already reaching up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), and temperatures as far north as London are soaring above 95 degrees F (35 degrees C). Scorching heat has been recorded across the continent, in Hungary, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and a range of other countries. To clarify just how unusual these temperatures are, temperatures in London for the month of May typically average between 50 and 66 degrees F (10 to 19 degrees C). And these middling temperatures are often coupled with rain. Sentinel-3, which launched in 2018, is a European satellite that was developed as part of the Copernicus Earth-observation program, a project run by the European Commission with support from the European Space Agency . …