Europe sinks in the stark reflection of what's ahead

The story captivates us, and after years of climate change, phenomena are intensifying to the extreme.

The Azores anticyclone has settled over central Europe in a bizarre shift, bringing record temperatures for a May month on the continent. Temperatures have reached 40 °C in several points of the Basque Country, 37 °C across southern France, and 34 °C in Germany. The heatwave is expected to persist for a few days, underscoring a profound shift in the continent’s climate paradigm.

“The Niño will worsen everything.”

Moreover, as if that weren’t enough, the Pacific is heating up with the arrival of a “super Niño” that will set an unprecedented record. Signs point to its effects becoming noticeable by late June, and Europe is bracing for a potentially infernal summer.

The Niño will alter the planet’s meteorology during its period of influence, bringing torrential rains to South America and parts of Asia, while imposing extreme droughts across Africa—especially in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Europe, as noted, will be another heavily affected region.

In the Canary Islands, large changes are not usually seen when El Niño arrives, but this time the Azores anticyclone is expected to shift excessively, leading to less wind in summer and consequently higher temperatures.

According to the State Meteorological Agency, May 25–31 will be “extraordinarily warm” across the Iberian Peninsula due to a new surge in temperatures, heralding a heat episode that will be more intense and longer‑lasting.

“This will undoubtedly be the hardest spring heat wave in Europe’s history. We could see up to 40 °C in Spain, 35 °C in Central Europe for days. Thousands of records will be shattered in Spain, Portugal, France, the Benelux countries, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Germany, the Alps, and the Czech Republic,” agency sources explain.

Temperatures typical of full summer—i.e., the second half of July or early August—are expected. In the Basque capital, 35 °C is forecast for Monday, rising to 36 °C on Tuesday.

The agency also warns that nights will remain hot, with temperatures not dropping below 20 °C on some days across eastern, central, and southern peninsular regions, and even along the Cantabrian coast.