Western Europe sets new temperature record as heat waves pummel the region

PARIS -- France is bracing for its fifth heat wave alert of the season, adding to an intense stretch of hot weather that has repeatedly sent temperatures soaring across the country since May.National weather agency Météo-France is warning about temperatures approaching 40 C (104 F) from Tuesday onward in southeastern France.Across Europe, the extreme heat began in May and has contributed to major wildfires, prolonged drought and new national temperature records, as well as thousands of projected heat-related deaths.Globally, so far this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show. But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Niño — a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe — there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, scientists said.Last month saw the highest average sea surface temperature ever recorded for July across the extrapolar oceans, or the oceans free of seasonal sea ice, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.That was partially fueled...