File:Sunny and Sizzling in Western Europe (MODIS 2022-07-12).jpg

English: Sunny summer skies greeted NASA’s Terra satellite as it passed over the western portion of Europe on July 11, 2022, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board to acquire a stunning true-color image of the region. This image captures parts of Wales and England (north), France (center), Andorra, and Spain (southwest).

A high-pressure system over portions of Europe has kept the skies spectacularly clear and temperatures soaring. According to media reports, on July 11 the Met Office advised that the mercury will soar in central, southern, and eastern England over the next five days, with highs predicted to reach as high as 35˚C (95˚F). On July 11, London reported a high of 29.5˚C (85˚F). France is also expecting toasty weather, or, as AccuWeather describes upcoming days, “hot with sizzling sunshine”. Météo-France appears to agree, advising that temperatures across France will begin to rise this week and stay unusually high for at least 10 days, probably longer, with parts of the southwest and Rhone Valley expected to see highs of 36-38˚C (96.8-100.4˚F). Sunny Spain is also sweltering, with temperatures rising to 39.4˚C (103˚F) on July 11 and, according to Weather Underground, expected to hit 40.5˚C (105˚F) later this week.

The current heatwave follows a similar bout of extreme heat in June 2022. Striking mid-month, the June heatwave affected Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Poland. On June 17, temperatures in London, England soared to 32˚C (89.6˚F) while temperatures in Seville, Spain rose to 41˚C (105.8˚F).