Western Europe Sizzles Under 'Omega Block' Heat Wave

Western Europe is enduring a scorching heat wave that is breaking temperature records and has already killed dozens of people while disrupting daily life in various countries, especially France.

At least 40 people, mostly teens and young adults, have drowned in rivers and canals while trying to cool off by swimming, authorities said. Two young children also were confirmed to have died after being left in a hot car.

On Monday, France experienced one of its hottest days on record, reaching 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in its western wine country. Then, on Tuesday, the country toppled that with a peak of 44.3 degrees Celsius (111.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in a southwestern town — the country’s hottest day ever.

Britain and Spain have also seen exceptionally high temperatures. Schools, public transportation, tourist sites, and many outdoor activities have been canceled amid the surging temperatures. In Paris, the famous Eiffel Tower was closed.

In 2024, Europe recorded more than 60,000 deaths attributed to the heat. And this year is expected to be even hotter as the El Niño weather pattern carries heated air from the Pacific Ocean across North America and into Europe.

These types of prolonged heat waves are becoming more commonplace in Europe as the continent warms at more than twice the global average, the World Meteorological Society has reported. And the extreme heat is especially hard in Europe because the World Resources Institute reports that only 20% of buildings there have air conditioning. Human-induced climate change is the chief culprit of the rising temperatures, and warming climate patterns like the current El Niño only exacerbate the problem.

Forecasters have dubbed the current phenomenon in Europe an “omega block.” That’s when the high pressure area of warm air gets stuck in one spot, isolating suffocating, hot air for days or weeks. Besides causing hot and dry conditions, the high pressure system also inhibits the formation of clouds, resulting in clear, sunny ​skies that push temperatures upward.

Reflect: When it gets really hot, how do you and the people around you handle it?

Photo of people cooling off in the Trocadero Fountain next to the Eiffel Tower from Reuters.