Europe's May Heatwave Breaks Records, Prompts School Closures

An early May heatwave has blanketed the European continent, with record-high temperatures persisting. In Britain and France, May temperature records have been broken, with both countries remaining under the influence of the heatwave for consecutive days. The southwestern French city of Angoulême recorded 37.8 degrees Celsius. Due to the extreme heat, one school in southwestern France closed for two days, and players at the French Open tennis tournament also struggled with the heat, with one player collapsing from exhaustion after a match.

Italy has issued the highest level of heatwave alerts for five cities. In the central Portuguese city of Mora, the highest temperature reached 40.3 degrees Celsius on the 27th. The Portuguese Ministry of Health stated that hospitalizations have surged due to the heatwave.

The heatwave, caused by a 'heat dome' phenomenon trapping a layer of hot air, has led to warnings that it could negatively impact residents' health.