Heat dome pushes Europe to May temperature records

A heat dome is driving temperatures well above seasonal norms across Europe, with the UK and France both recording May heat records, France 24 reported on Tuesday.

Spain and Italy are facing heat alerts, with authorities imposing limits on outdoor work as the system pushes readings unusually high for late May.

The heat dome — a high-pressure system that traps warm air — is responsible for the surge, according to France 24. No peak temperature figures were given in the report.

Scientists say climate change is making these kinds of extreme heat events more frequent. The event is particularly notable for occurring in May, when such extremes are historically rare across the continent.