An exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Europe An exceptionally early heat wave shatters records and brings deaths in Europe May 26, 20261:47 PM ET By The Associated Press A man drinks Tuesday outside the Palace of Westminster in London. Kin Cheung/AP hide caption toggle caption Kin Cheung/AP LONDON — The United Kingdom smashed a century-old temperature record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe, triggering government warnings about risks to life. Several drownings were reported in Britain and France as people tried to cool down.

2 Fahrenheit was recorded at London's Kew Gardens, Britain's Met Office weather service said, breaking the 94. 6-degree record set a day earlier at Kew. The provisional readings smashed the long-standing record of 91.

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4 degrees set in 1922 and matched in 1944. London also recorded a rare "tropical night," defined as one in which the temperature does not fall below 68. Sponsor Message Climate Scientists link hundreds of severe heat waves to fossil fuel producers' pollution Records also fell in France, where temperatures reached 97 on Monday in the country's southwest and widely remained above 68 at night.

The national weather service, Météo-France, said a "heat dome," with heat held in place by a high-pressure weather front, was producing temperatures more than 10 degrees Celsius above what is usual for this time of year. Unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent as Earth warms. Experts say unprecedented and deadly weather extremes that sometimes strike at abnormal times and in unusual places are putting more people in danger.

Life Kit Planning to be outside on a hot and humid day? Take these precautions "We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that heat wave events such as this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change arising from our emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases," said Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Centre, at Maynooth University, in Ireland. "But, nevertheless, many of the records being set, particularly in the U.

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and France, are mind-bogglingly crazy. long weekend that sent people flocking to beaches, pools and shady parks, London commuters sweltered on Tuesday in subway carriages without air conditioning. Trains to and from the busy Waterloo station were disrupted by a report of smoke on the tracks.

Sponsor Message In Scotland, firefighters worked through the night to douse a grass fire that sent smoke billowing from Arthur's Seat, the rocky hill that looms over Edinburgh. Swimmers keep cool in the hot weather Tuesday in an open-air pool in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. Joe Giddens/PA via AP hide caption toggle caption Joe Giddens/PA via AP The U.

Health Security Agency issued an amber health alert for large parts of the country through Thursday, warning of a potential health risk, particularly among older people, at the hottest times of the day.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.