Europe heatwave: What caused record temperatures, why it is a concern

Gallargues-le-Montueux in southern France hit an all-time high of 45.9°C during the last week. Places in Germany (39.3°C), Czech Republic (38.9°C) and Poland (38.2°C) experienced record highs for the month of June.

europe heatwave, europe temperature, europe weather, heatwae conditions, global climate, indian express — This map shows the temperature of the land (not of the air) in Europe and northern Africa on June 26. (Photo: European Space Agency)

Last week, Europe went through a heatwave that lasted six days, smashed temperature records, left two people dead in France and another two in Spain, and caused huge fires to break out, including one that spanned 10,000 acres in France. By Monday, temperatures had dipped in parts of the continent, leading to authorities calling off heatwave warnings, although certain areas such as the south of France continued to swelter.