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.”