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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

European heatwave drives world's second-hottest May on record

Canal Saint-Martin em Paris, 26 de Maio de 2026
People swim in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris during an unusually early heatwave, 26 May 2026. AFP - SIMON WOHLFAHRT

The world experienced its second-hottest May on record in 2026 as an unusually early and intense heatwave swept across Europe, setting new temperature records across the continent, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Wednesday.

New monthly records were set during the month, creating what Copernicus described as "particularly difficult" conditions in France, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Portugal.

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