How Europe is grappling with extreme heat as red alerts issued in Britain, France, Spain and Italy

An empty street in Toulouse, France, on June 22, 2026. France experiences its second heatwave of the year, with temperatures in Toulouse reaching or surpassing 40?C. MeteoFrance reports that this day is expected to be one of the hottest on record. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Several countries in Europe have issued red weather alerts as a fresh bout of extreme heat pushes temperatures beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), bringing dangerous conditions across large swaths of the world's fastest warming continent. The U.K.'s Met Office on Monday put a rare red extreme heat warning in place for Wednesday and Thursday, warning that the country's highest temperature on record for June is "very likely" to be broken over the coming days. The red warning caters for an exceptional spell of hot and humid weather, which carries the potential for adverse health effects population wide and means substantial changes in daily routines will be required. The U.K.'s weather forecaster said the mercury could reach at least 39 degrees Celsius this week, while evening temperatures were unlikely to drop below 20 degrees Celsius through consecutive nights. "Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we're expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat," said Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster of the Met Office. …