In Europe, the month was marked by a rapid transition from below-average temperatures to one of the most intense heat waves ever observed so early in the year.
France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal were particularly hard hit, with a number of temperature records broken for the month. The development is in line with the rapid warming in Europe and the long-term trend towards more frequent, more intense and earlier heat waves, notes the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S).
Going forward, the heat is expected to be amplified by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which is likely to drive extreme weather globally.
