Europe Heat Dome
May 28 – May 29, 2026 Updated May 29
Every published chapter of The Fold's coverage of Europe Heat Dome, in one place — oldest to newest, updated as the story develops.
UK records hottest May day on record as Kew hits 35.1C and a Saarland village touches 39.2C
A late-May heat dome over western Europe drove the UK to a provisional 35.1C at Kew Gardens on Thursday, the hottest May day in records dating to 1860, with the previous record having stood for less than forty-eight hours. Saarland in Germany touched 39.2C, twelve to sixteen degrees above the long-term norm for the period.
Europe’s record May heat begins to ease as UN warns a new hottest year is near-certain by 2030
The extraordinary late-May heat dome that drove the UK to its hottest May day on record and broke more than 1,350 temperature records across France is forecast to relax over the coming days. The retreat coincides with a World Meteorological Organization warning that a new global heat record is almost certain before the end of 2030.