Experts Link Europe's Scorching Heat to Heat Dome Phenomenon

WHO:

ABC News - Mireia Ginesta, research associate at the Climate Litigation Lab at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

ABC News - Jennifer Francis, climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center.

ABC News - Liz Bentley, chief executive at the Royal Meteorological Society and professor of meteorology at the University of Reading.

WHAT:

ABC News - Millions of people across Europe are experiencing extremely high temperatures due to a heat wave.

ABC News - France has reported around 40 fatalities due to drowning as people sought cooling relief.

ABC News - About half of France has been placed under a red heat wave alert by the national weather service.

ABC News - Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).

ABC News - Trains, concerts, and sporting events in France have been canceled due to the heat wave.

ABC News - Authorities in France are restricting public alcohol drinking.

WHERE:

ABC News - France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are experiencing the heat wave.

WHEN:

ABC News - June temperature records are expected to be "not just broken, but completely annihilated."

WHY:

ABC News - Experts attribute the heat wave to a heat dome phenomenon caused by a northward bulge in the jet stream.

ABC News - Climate change is making conditions for heat domes occur more frequently and intensely.

HOW:

ABC News - Heat domes are high pressure systems that trap heat and humidity by remaining stationary for several days.

ABC News - The jet stream's behavior creates the conditions for heat waves by causing air to sink, which increases pressure and temperature.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 19:43 UTC)

Millions of people across Europe are facing an intense heat wave, with France reporting around 40 fatalities linked to drowning as individuals sought relief from the extreme temperatures. About half of France is under a red heat wave alert, with temperatures expected to soar to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, prompting the cancellation of trains, concerts, and sporting events, while authorities restrict public alcohol consumption. Experts attribute this heat wave to a heat dome phenomenon caused by a northward bulge in the jet stream, which is becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.