On 19 July 2022, the intense heatwave that had scorched southern Europe pushed northwards, bringing record-breaking temperatures to the United Kingdom, northern France, the Benelux countries and Germany.
A historic day for the UK
Early that day, preliminary Met Office data showed the UK had already beaten its previous temperature record, with 39.1°C. By the afternoon, temperatures passed 40°C for the first time ever, peaking at 40.3°C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. The heat disrupted rail travel, strained emergency services and sparked fires on the edges of London.
France: records and a “monster” fire
France saw many local records, with the western city of Nantes reaching around 42°C. In Gironde, two huge wildfires had burned more than 19,000 hectares (about 47,000 acres). Tens of thousands of people were evacuated, including staff and animals from a zoo. When the wind changed direction, smoke drifted over Bordeaux.
Jean-Luc Gleyze, head of the Gironde department, described the blaze as “a monster”, comparing it to an octopus spreading in every direction and saying heat, wind and very dry air made it extremely hard to fight. Fires also broke out in Brittany, forcing hundreds of residents to leave their homes.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany
The Netherlands recorded its hottest day of the year so far, above 33°C, with higher temperatures forecast. Germany’s weather service warned that parts of the west and south-west, along with southern Belgium, could approach 40°C, close to Germany’s national record of 41.2°C set in Duisburg in 2019.
Spain and Portugal
Further south, the toll was severe. More than a thousand deaths in Spain and Portugal were linked to the heat. In Spain’s Zamora province, a firefighter died and a shepherd’s body was later found after a wildfire swept through the area, and train services were disrupted as flames came close to the tracks. Footage from one passenger showed a train stopped with fire burning on both sides.
Portugal had earlier recorded around 47°C. In the north of the country, an elderly couple died in their car while trying to escape a fire near Murça, and officials feared a repeat of 2017, when 66 people were killed by wildfires.
Why it matters
The 2022 heatwave showed how quickly extreme heat can spread across a continent and how unprepared many regions are for temperatures once considered impossible. Scientists say climate change is making such events more likely, underlining the need for better heat planning and wildfire prevention.
