The World Meteorological Organisation, its members and partners are ramping up action against extreme heat in Western Europe, parts of North America, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Meanwhile, a cold spell in South America could also be a health threat.

In particular, Western Europe is impacted by a strong high-pressure system, trapping dry air from northern Africa over the region and leading to extreme heat which is having a major impact on daily life.

In western and south-western Europe both minimum (representative of night-time conditions) and maximum temperatures (usually occurring during the afternoon) broke monthly station records for June in some locations. Sea surface temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea are also exceptionally warm for the time of year.