Europe’s Heat Trap: How the Continent Got Scorched

Europe is baking under an intense and prolonged heatwave, as a massive “heat dome” traps hot air over the continent. The phenomenon, a slow-moving high-pressure system, has pulled in scorching air from North Africa, driving temperatures above 40°C in parts of France, Belgium, and the Czech Republic.

In Paris, red alerts have been issued, and the Eiffel Tower’s summit was shut down, while in Prague, zookeepers trucked in tons of ice to cool polar bears.

Meteorologists point to a combination of factors: a severely dry spring, overheated sea surfaces near Spain and Italy, and a distorted jet stream that’s funneled heat deep into central and northern Europe.

According to the UK’s Royal Meteorological Society, climate change is not only making heat domes more likely, but it’s also intensifying them. As background temperatures rise, every heatwave becomes more dangerous, persistent, and disruptive.

Scientists warn that these once-rare events are becoming a defining feature of European summers. The continent is now facing a new climate reality where infrastructure, public health, and ecosystems are increasingly at risk from extreme heat.