Western Europe swelters as Norway shivers through unseasonably cold spell

A late-May heatwave has sent temperatures soaring across western Europe, with southern Spain hitting 38°C and records expected to fall in the UK, while Norway remains locked in unseasonably cold conditions, Dagbladet reports.

Meteorologists confirm parts of Portugal, France, and Spain have exceeded 35°C, with the UK bracing for its hottest May temperatures in 82 years—potentially surpassing the 32.8°C record set in 1944. Terje Alsvik Walløe, duty meteorologist at the Norwegian Meteorological Institute, described the European heat as “unusually strong for this time of year,” driven by a persistent high-pressure system blanketing the continent in clear skies.

Norway, however, sits firmly outside this warm zone. “We’re very different from the rest of Europe,” Walløe told Dagbladet, attributing the contrast to the high-pressure system’s southern position. While eastern and southern Norway may reach around 20°C in the coming days—thanks to sheltered valleys and wind patterns—most of the country faces chill, rain, and overcast skies. Trondheim’s forecast high on Monday is just 10°C.

“The only region with anything resembling summer weather is the southeast,” Walløe said. “Beyond that, there’s little to celebrate.”