Portugal breaks hottest May day record as Europe sweats through heatwave

Portugal has set a new record for its hottest May day ever as a powerful heatwave sweeps across southern Europe. France and Italy are also severely affected, with students sitting exams in sweltering schools and red heat alerts issued across Italy.

Portugal has shattered its record for the hottest May day in recorded history as an intense heatwave grips southern Europe, forcing governments and citizens alike to adapt to dangerous temperatures far earlier in the year than usual.

In France, students are enduring some of the most challenging exam conditions in recent memory, sitting through written tests in school buildings that have turned into virtual ovens. French authorities have so far stopped short of postponing exams, leaving pupils and teachers to cope as best they can with the scorching heat.

Italy has moved to issue red heat alerts across several parts of the country, signalling that temperatures have reached levels considered dangerous to human health. Red alerts — the highest tier of warning — typically prompt local authorities to open cooling centres and urge residents to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day.

Meteorologists have linked the early-season heatwave to a mass of hot air pushing northward from North Africa, a pattern that has become increasingly common in recent years. Climate scientists warn that record-breaking heat events arriving earlier in spring are consistent with the broader trend of rising global temperatures driven by climate change.

For Estonia and the wider Baltic region, the images coming from Portugal, France, and Italy serve as a reminder of what warmer summers ahead may look like. While the heatwave has not yet extended to northern Europe, forecasters are watching closely as the continent braces for what could be an exceptionally hot summer.