June is set to arrive with distinctly summer-like conditions: on Pentecost Monday, temperatures across Greece are expected to soar above 30°C. While the country has so far escaped the intense heat dome currently battering much of Europe, a sustained warm spell has already begun—and shows no signs of easing.
Greece: A Hot Pentecost Weekend and Beyond
This Saturday (30 May 2026) and throughout the Pentecost holiday weekend, skies will be clear and temperatures exceptionally high—reaching 30°C in many areas. The warmth will persist into the first week of June. Isolated thunderstorms may develop over mountainous regions starting Wednesday, but overall, dry and sunny weather will dominate.
Western Europe Under Fire
Elsewhere in Europe, the heatwave has turned deadly—claiming at least 18 lives so far: 11 in the UK and 7 in France. Locals and tourists alike are desperately seeking relief—under shade, in lakes and rivers, and even public fountains.
The culprit is a persistent heat dome—a large area of high atmospheric pressure that traps hot air masses moving north from North Africa. Meteorologists link this phenomenon directly to the current extreme heat. Acting like an atmospheric lid, it prevents air circulation and intensifies heating day after day.
UK: Record-Breaking Heat and Tropical Nights
In the UK, authorities have confirmed 11 fatalities as temperatures climb above 30°C—unusually extreme even for summer months. On 28 May, the mercury hit 34.8°C at Kew Gardens in London, shattering the previous May record of 32.8°C set in 1922 (and matched in 1944). The next day, temperatures climbed further—to 35.1°C.
The country is also enduring back-to-back tropical nights, with lows staying above 20°C—an almost unprecedented occurrence for May. Concerns are mounting over infrastructure and housing ill-equipped for prolonged high temperatures.
France: Orange Alerts and Emergency Measures
In France, seven deaths have been reported amid soaring temperatures—reaching up to 39°C in some areas. Dozens of departments have been placed under orange heat alerts, a rare step for May. Paris and its surrounding Île-de-France suburbs—including Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne—have been placed on heightened alert. Emergency traffic restrictions have been activated across the region.
The western part of France—and particularly the Atlantic coast—is among the hardest-hit areas, regions typically unaccustomed to such extreme heat this early in the year.