Summer finally landed in Ireland this week, relieving us of the grey skies and cold weather that had so far largely defined the season. The temperature, however, has been nothing compared to what other countries, particularly in Europe, have been experiencing overing the last number of weeks.
Barcelona recorded its hottest ever day on Tuesday (40 degrees) as a heatwave engulfs Spain, while London saw its highest temperature so far this year (32 degrees at Kew Gardens on Tuesday). Paris, where the 2024 Olympics are currently being held is also experiencing a heatwave with temperatures of 30 degrees on Thursday. Along with the heat there are a large number of wildfires burning across the Continent, including southern France, Italy, Croatia and Greece.
Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of heatwaves, bringing record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events to Europe. The highest average temperature on Earth was recorded earlier this month, according to preliminary data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service. “Europe is heating twice as fast as other continents and even quicker than climate models predict,” said Mariam Zachariah, a researcher at the Grantham Institute — Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London.
Did you go abroad on your holidays this year or are you on them right now? Where have you gone; how warm has it been there and how are you coping with the high temperatures?
Is the heat impacting your holiday? Have there been activities or day trips you’ve had to forego as a result of the heat?
You can let us know about your experience using the form below. Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential.
We will curate a selection of submissions for an article but please note we may not publish every submission we receive.