Sahara Dust, Severe Heat Waves Break Records in Spain, UK, France

Rabat – Dust from the Sahara and unprecedented spring temperatures are sparking concerns of drought and extreme heat in Spain, France and the UK. Weather forecasters in London, Paris and Madrid are warning of record-breaking heat waves due to hot air and dust storms blowing in from the south.

Temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees celsius in Andalusia this weekend, temperatures that are considered hot even in the heart of summer. Experiencing such temperatures in May however is unprecedented, and likely a sign of the worsening trend due to the climate crisis, according to experts.

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In France, average temperatures in spring have always stayed well below 25.3 degrees celsius. This wednesday, Paris experienced a temperature of 22 degrees, at 3 am at night. 

Record-high temperatures are being reported across the country, with several regions seeing temperatures surpass 33 degrees. Local experts consider it “highly probable” that this year’s spring will be the hottest on record.

Part of the spring heatwaves are driven by dust and heat blowing north from Africa. Dust from the Sahara is impacting European countries from Spain to the UK, and can be found as far west as Florida, in the United States. 

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While record-breaking temperatures and airborne dust in Europe are likely to impact agriculture, the elderly, ill and pregnant people, the weather is becoming even more apocalyptic elsewhere. Temperatures in South Asia, home to 1.9 billion people, have seen the highest average temperatures on record. 

The mercury surpassed 50 degrees in several regions in India and Pakistan, with knock-on effects on local agriculture that was expected to cushion the food supply shock created by the conflict in Ukraine. “We are living in hell,” local farmer Nazeer Ahmed told the Guardian, as many experts fear the current records are merely a precursor to further climate extremities.