Europe's Searing Reality Check Western Europe has been plagued by its fifth heat wave of the year, forcing Britain and France to confront a harsh truth: they are woefully unprepared for this new normal of extreme weather events.
On Thursday, the U. K. recorded its hottest day of the summer so far, with temperatures soaring to 38. 1 C in west London. In several regions of France, temperatures reached just shy of 41 C.
The statistics on heat waves are staggering: four days with temperatures above 36 C this year alone, matching last year's count, and a total of five heat waves since May.