US vs. Europe: Same heat, very different danger
If you’re heading to Europe next week, you will be met with another brutal heat wave as temperatures soar into the 90s and even flirt with the triple digits across the continent.
This is just another round of searing heat in what’s been a brutal European summer. Here’s what you need to know to stay safe:
The forecast
The next round of searing heat will begin to develop on Sunday as a heat dome builds over the United Kingdom and parts of western Europe.
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By midweek, temperatures are expected to climb into the mid- to upper 90s for cities like London, Paris and Rome — with some locations, like Madrid, even flirting with triple digits.
For perspective, these temperatures are upward of 15-20 degrees above average for this time of year.
(MORE: A meteorologist’s guide to visiting Europe during a heat wave)
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And while high temperatures in the 90s and even low 100s may sound like just another summer day in the U.S., that heat can be deadly in Europe as a result of lack of air conditioning, older infrastructure and an aging population.
The heat is forecast to spread into central Europe by late week, causing temperatures to soar into the 90s there as well. This comes in the wake of the heat this week that broke temperature records across countries like Austria and Poland.
(MORE: Danube River water levels cause shipping, power problems)
As the heat shifts east, western Europe will see some relief late week, but it is still uncertain exactly when and how much these temperatures cool off.
What will the rest of August feel like?
Unfortunately, heat will be the name of the game throughout the rest of August, as shown in the monthly outlook from AG2 and The Weather Company.
Almost the entirety of the continent is covered in red and purple, indicating the most above-average temperatures.
(MORE: Europe is baking. Here’s how to stay cool off under a blazing heat dome)
If you were considering a last-minute getaway to Europe before summer slips away, you may just want to wait.
Choosing to travel in late September or October, also known as fall “shoulder season,” helps you avoid the dangerous heat as well as the bulk of the tourists.
(AG2/The Weather Company)
Europe’s sweltering summer
This summer has been hot, sweaty and deadly across Europe, with thousands of deaths recorded this summer already.
The heat wave in late June was historic in nature — smashing records in France, Spain and the UK for the hottest June day.
And that was just one in a long line of heat waves we’ve seen over the past few months.
(MORE: Europe is putting explosives in riverbeds to combat historic drought)
So, why are they happening so frequently? Climate change.
Europe is the fastest warming continent. These man-made changes to our climate mean the summer here will continue to be defined by persistent heat domes, which trigger extreme drought, low water levels and catastrophic wildfires.
This continent doesn’t really have the equipment to handle this extreme heat and it’s going to be brutal for travelers in the decades to come.
Women use electric fans to cool off during a heatwave in Paris on July 10, 2026.
(Behrouz MEHRI / AFP via Getty Images)
Caitlin Kaiser graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before starting her career as a digital meteorologist with weather.com.