Record May heat tops 30C in parts of France as UK issues first amber health alert

A record-breaking May heat spell has pushed temperatures above 30C across many parts of France and is expected to persist into the week of May 25, The Independent reported. ^[1]

In Lyon, the extreme conditions turned deadly when a woman died of heat stroke during a sports competition on Sunday, May 24. ^[1]

Across the Channel, health officials issued a warning aimed at protecting vulnerable people as the hottest part of the day approaches. The U.K. Health Security Agency released its first amber health alert of the year for May 25, cautioning that deaths among the elderly could rise during peak heat. ^[1]

The developments are the latest in a series of late-May heat events across parts of Europe. On May 24, record May temperatures were linked to deaths at amateur sports events and prompted health warnings, underscoring the human toll of the ongoing conditions. ^[1]

Meteo France said the heat is not confined to a single area, describing temperatures exceeding 30C in many parts of the country and projecting that the record-breaking May weather would continue into the week of May 25. ^[1]