Heatwaves to continue to hit some European countries, WMO warns

Briefing journalists in Geneva, a WMO spokesperson said that Germany and the Benelux countries are likely to experience their hottest day ever on Thursday when they will have to deal with a peak of over 40 degrees Celsius – that’s 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heatwaves will continue to hit many parts of Europe this week, with some countries on course to see record temperatures, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday.

Briefing journalists in Geneva, a WMO spokesperson said that Germany and the Benelux countries are likely to experience their hottest day ever on Thursday when they will have to deal with a peak of over 40 degrees Celsius – that's 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Several parts of France have set records for the lowest amount of rainfall since records began, and in Bordeaux-Merignac, overnight temperatures did not fall below 24.9 degrees Celsius. France and Switzerland are both on "level 3" amber alerts for a period of four days, which means an increased likelihood of travel disruption due to road and rail closures, and risks to health.

In Spain, the national weather service is warning of extreme fire risk for large parts of the country, whilst Portugal is experiencing severe wildfires, with a burned area increasing by 2,000 hectares (almost 5,000 acres) per day.

A spokesperson for the WMO said on Tuesday that extreme weather events are "not a problem that's going to go away", and that heatwaves are starting earlier, becoming increasingly common, and more intense.

The warnings follow a sweltering weekend for the USA, where records were set for several locations, including Atlanta, New Jersey, and New York's JFK airport.