Billions of people around the world are suffering the wrath of apocalyptic weather events this week.
In the UK and Europe, there have been scorching heatwaves, with parts of the continent expected to hit 46°C.
At the same time, a huge cloud of dust from the Sahara Desert is inching closer to the US, where it’s expected to engulf entire states in the coming days.
What’s more, parts of India and Pakistan are enduring prolonged temperatures above 46°C, forcing schools to close.
So, what’s behind this apocalyptic weather?
According to the Met Office, there are several factors at play – including climate change.
‘The number of extreme events which cause loss in any given year is affected by both changing human factors, such as growing population and increasing infrastructure, as well as natural variability of the climate,’ it explained.
‘In addition, there is evidence that the frequency of some types of extremes have changed – particularly warm temperature extremes and heavy rainfall events. There has also been a decrease in cold extremes.’
In the UK and Europe, there have been scorching heatwaves, with parts of the continent expected to hit 46°C
UK braces for the ‘hottest day ever’
Here in the UK, a Red Extreme Heat Warning has been issued by the Met Office, as temperatures inch closer to the all–time record for June.
Following intense thunderstorms across the south of England last night, the heat is now building, with highs of 37°C forecast for southern England and 35°C in southeast Wales today.
However, the worst is yet to come.
The Met Office says the peak of the heatwave is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to at least 39°C.
By Friday, conditions will be less hot, with highs of 32°C forecast across eastern areas.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Mark Sidaway said: ‘Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat.
‘The last time the UK recorded temperatures this high was in July 2022, but on this occasion the heat is expected to be accompanied by high humidity.
The Met Office says the peak of the heatwave is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to at least 39°C
‘As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20°C, which is called a Tropical Night.
‘This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.’
Europe bakes under a ‘heat dome’
Europe is sweltering under a heat dome, pushing temperatures in parts of the continent to 46°C, as deaths rise and the risk of disaster grows.
The spike in temperatures is being driven by a mass of hot air moving north from the Sahara, fuelled by a strong high–pressure system known as the ‘African anticyclone.’
Meteorologists say the system is creating a so‑called ‘heat dome,’ trapping hot air over western and central Europe and allowing temperatures to build day after day.
In France, 40 people have tragically drowned while seeking reprieve from the heat since June 18 according to Sebastien Lecornu, the country’s prime minister who added the deaths occurred ‘mainly among young people.’
He will hold a crisis meeting today to discuss the extreme weather bringing the country to its knees.
The French government’s emergency response cell warned people not to try to cool off in unsupervised areas such as lakes and rivers
The government’s emergency response cell warned people not to try to cool off in unsupervised areas such as lakes and rivers after the drowning deaths at the weekend, which included a 13–year–old girl.
Similarly in Germany a spike in fatal swimming accidents saw five deaths over the weekend.
Two men aged 20 and 22 drowned in lakes in Bavaria, and a 79–year–old woman died in the Baltic Sea. Other fatal swimming accidents occurred in lakes in Brandenburg and North Rhine–Westphalia.
Saharan dust cloud is set to engulf the US
A huge plume of Saharan dust is making its way across the Atlantic and is expected to reach parts of the southeastern US in the coming days.
The vast cloud consists of extremely dry, dust-filled air that forms over the Sahara Desert before being carried thousands of miles westward by strong winds.
Light to moderate Saharan dust has already begun drifting into South Florida, including the Miami area, creating hazy skies, suppressing thunderstorm activity and contributing to hotter, drier conditions.
Forecasters said a drier air mass, fueled by an approaching plume of Saharan dust, will move into the region from today.
Forecasters said a drier air mass, fueled by an approaching plume of Saharan dust, will move into the region beginning Tuesday
The dust is expected to continue filtering across the state through the week, with its effects becoming increasingly noticeable by midweek.
Saharan dust contains fine particles, PM10 and especially PM2.5, minerals like quartz and feldspar, and sometimes microbes or pollutants picked up during transport.
These can be inhaled deep into the lungs or enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory and cardiovascular issues.
Other impacts include eye, nose, skin and throat irritation, headaches, fatigue and allergic reactions.
India’s heatwave forces schools to shut
For weeks now, India and Pakistan have been battling a severe heatwave, with temperatures regularly surpassing 40°C.
Schools in about half of India’s 28 states have been ordered to close until the end of June to protect children from the blistering heat.
While India and Pakistan often experience sustained heat, this year’s heatwave is ‘something else’, according to Oluwafemi E. Adeyeri and Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, from the Australian National University.
For weeks now, India and Pakistan have been battling a severe heatwave, with temperatures regularly surpassing 40°
In an article for The Conversation, they explained: ‘One reason it’s been so bad this year is due to persistent high-pressure weather systems.
‘When these systems sit in place, they make heatwaves more likely by suppressing cloud formation and reducing the chance of cooling rain.
‘This year, strong high-pressure systems have lingered over parts of India and Pakistan, trapping hot air near the surface and allowing temperatures to build over many days.
‘With less rain, there’s more heat at ground level and soils dry out.
‘Drier soils make things worse, because less heat is used up evaporating moisture in the soil and more goes into heating the land. High pressure systems can often hang around for many days, allowing extreme heat to build up.
‘It’s often worst in cities, as concrete and asphalt absorb heat during the day and release it slowly overnight. This means cities stay hotter overnight, boosting health risks for people without access to cooling.’
Why are extreme weather events becoming more common?
In 2024, a damning report warned that extreme rainfall and searing temperatures are set to become more common in the next two decades thanks to climate change.
Scientists estimated that nearly three-quarters of the global population – around 5.6 billion people – will see dramatic changes in weather conditions unless carbon emissions fall.
The experts found that a large region including Spain, Italy, Morocco, Peru, India, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are expected to get ‘clear and rapid’ increases in temperature and rainfall.
Even in the most optimistic scenario, more than 1.5 billion people around the world will be affected by unbearable heat, flash floods and more.
Writing in The Conversation, The Australian National University researchers added: ‘As the world gets steadily hotter, heatwaves get worse and worse.
‘Estimates from World Weather Attribution suggest the first big heatwave from 15–29 April 2026 was made about three times more likely and about 1°C hotter due to climate change.
‘At current global levels of global warming (~1.4°C), this means the subcontinent faces similar events about once every five years.
‘At present, we’re tracking towards 2.6°C of warming by 2100. At that level of heat, heatwaves like this would hit every 2-3 years and be 2.2°C hotter.’
