by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 6:30 PM ET, Wed June 17, 2026
As Europe heads into the peak of its summer travel season, a record-breaking heatwave is rolling across large portions of the continent.
A large area of high pressure, otherwise known as a "heat dome," is building across certain parts of Europe and it will bring temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius, which is more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit, according to BBC.
The hot air impacting the region is arriving from the nearby Saharan Desert and has initially been blanketing much of the Iberian peninsula, The Guardian reported. The extreme heat is expected to continue spreading, making its way into southern and western France before long.
The heat front is projected to continue spreading as the week progresses, reaching north-eastward across Europe. At the peak of the unfolding weather event, which is expected to be on Friday, temperatures across several popular tourist countries such as Germany, Italy and Czechia, will reach 10-15 degrees Celsius above climate averages for June. Some locations will even set new June temperature records, such as Paris. The temperature in the French capital is expected to reach above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday. If that happens, it would "obliterate" the previous June record of 37.6 degrees set in 1947, according to BBC.
Even the UK may be caught up in the extreme heat event. Weather models indicate that temperatures in the kingdom could reach the mid- to high 20s celsius (high 70s Fahrenheit to mid-80s) throughout southern and eastern England, according to The Guardian.
Intense thunderstorms, which could trigger flash flooding, are also expected for the coming week. The good news is the heatwave is expected to subside in many places by early next week.
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