An extreme heatwave hit Europe once again in week commencing 21 July, following extreme weather in June. High temperatures were expected to peak on 25 July, reaching as high as 39-40°C, (102.2-104°F) with The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany recording their highest ever temperatures. Paris reached a sweltering 41°C (105.8°F), breaking its previous record in 1947.

The illustration here, an animation of two images, shows the land surface temperature from today July, compared to data recorded during the previous heatwave on 26 June 2019.