Southern Europe shatters heat records as Norwegian weather watcher tracks trends

Southern Europe is reporting near-daily heat records, with the UK and France logging some of their warmest June days on record, Dagbladet reports.

Torsten Hanssen, a self-described “weather nerd” from Trondheim, is following the developments closely. A former journalist and weather reporter for Adresseavisen, Hanssen now spends his retirement tracking global forecasts from his holiday home in Spain.

“I have to admit I start checking the statistics almost as soon as I wake up,” he said. When asked how many hours he dedicates daily, he laughed: “I don’t want to sound completely mad, but probably between two and four. Though I do read books as well.”

Hanssen, known as “Vær-Torsten” on social media, shares regular updates with his followers on X and Facebook. He notes that parts of southern Spain have hit 35°C in recent days, while inland areas exceed 40°C. Similar extremes are being recorded across the continent.

“France is breaking hundreds of June heat records almost every day,” he said.

Meteorologists attribute the extreme heat to a “heat dome”—a powerful high-pressure system trapping warm air. The phenomenon has created a swath of hot, still air stretching from England to Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Eastern Europe.

Hanssen expects Norway may also see records fall, particularly in Drammen, Nesbyen, and Nelaug in Agder, which often register the country’s highest temperatures. He notes that Oslo only recorded its first day above 25°C this Wednesday, unusually late for the season.