Exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

People visit Bournemouth beach, south England, Monday May 25, 2026. (Andrew Matthews/PA via AP)

2026-05-26T10:46:46Z

LONDON (AP) — Firefighters battled a grass fire in Edinburgh and temperature records toppled as a spring heatwave scorched parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life.

London recorded a rare “tropical night,” defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 20 Celsius (68 Fahrenheit), and Britain’s Met Office weather service said the temperature in southern England could hit 35 C (95 F) on Tuesday.

A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty in a reservoir in Halifax, northern England, on Monday, police said.

In France, temperatures have broken records for the month of May, soaring well over 30 C (86 F) in many parts of the country.

Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said there have been reports of at least seven deaths potentially related to high temperatures, including five drownings and two deaths in sports competitions.

Monday was the U.K.’s hottest May day on record, with the temperature hitting 34.8 C at Kew Gardens in London, smashing the previous record of 32.8 C (91.4 F) set in 1922 and 1944.

After a U.K. long weekend that sent people flocking to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters sweltered on Tuesday in unairconditioned subway carriages. Trains running to and from the city’s busy Waterloo station were disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

Firefighters worked through the night to douse a fire that sent plumes of smoke billowing from Arthur’s Seat, the rocky hill that looms over Edinburgh.

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The U.K. Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for much of the country through Wednesday morning, warning of a potential health risk, particularly among the elderly, at the hottest times of the day. The U.K. is used to moderate temperatures, and many homes, schools and businesses do not have air conditioning.

The early heatwave has struck before the annual summer window when lifeguards watch over bathers at popular beaches, increasing risks.

On France’s Atlantic seaboard, where magnificent beaches also have powerful riptides, officials reported a rash of emergencies in the surf with two drowning deaths on Sunday at popular resorts in the Gironde region in the southwest.

The top regional administrator, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers “to exercise the utmost caution.”

Unpredictable and extreme weather becoming more frequent as Earth’s warming builds. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in danger.

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John Leicester in Paris contributed to this story.