Scientists explain how to minimize getting wet during heavy rain

Western Europe experienced the hottest period in history during June and July.

According to the European Union's climate monitoring, the first two months of summer in Western Europe were the hottest on record. The continent has faced devastating wildfires and is bracing for another wave of heat.

The average temperature in June and July was 21.62 degrees Celsius (70.9 degrees Fahrenheit), which is approximately 2.79 degrees above the average and exceeded the previous temperature record set in 2022, reports the Copernicus Climate Service.

Copernicus also noted that July was the hottest month ever recorded in non-polar world oceans. Record high temperatures were registered along the Atlantic Ocean and the western Mediterranean, threatening marine life and coastal communities. These conditions were partly triggered by the so-called 'Super' El Niño weather pattern developing in the Pacific Ocean.

The continent suffered from a series of deadly heatwaves, and even higher temperatures are forecast for this week, as parts of Europe are experiencing the fifth heatwave of the summer. According to data collected by Bloomberg, more than 25,000 people have died in Europe due to heat over the past year.

Europe is the continent with the fastest warming rate in the world, but it is insufficiently prepared for the heat due to outdated infrastructure and a lack of air conditioning systems.

According to Samantha Burgess, Strategic Climate Lead at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, extreme heat and prolonged drought in June and July reinforced each other, creating a spiral of hot weather. Burgess explained that when soils dry out, they lose their ability to provide natural cooling, allowing heat to accumulate more easily, and called it 'a vivid example of how climate change amplifies temperature extremes.'

The surface soil moisture level in Western Europe in July 2026 was 'significantly lower' than in July 2022, which was the last summer the region experienced severe drought. Scientists found 'exceptional or record deficits' in precipitation and soil moisture in France, Spain, and parts of Germany and the United Kingdom.

The record summer heat contributed to the outbreak of wildfires in Europe, setting records. These fires led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people and burned over 1.23 million acres of land, mainly in Spain, France, and Italy, according to an EU report from August 6.

In addition to land destruction, the fires had a broader impact across the continent, increasing emissions and disrupting air quality, stated Laurent Ruil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. Ruil explained that 'larger fires produce more smoke and release it higher into the atmosphere, allowing it to travel further and affect air quality not only locally but also in a wider region.'

Severe droughts have also dried up major European rivers, including the Seine, Rhine, and Danube, threatening the continent's energy supply. Hungary and Romania were forced to temporarily halt the operation of nuclear reactors cooled by the Danube, Europe's second-longest river, which experienced such low water levels that the crisis is visible from space.

Richard Allan, a climatology professor at the University of Reading in England, previously told CNN that these record low river levels are likely to be disrupted again in the future, and that this 'will only be the tip of the iceberg.' He added that 'water resource management will become increasingly complex.'

South Africa is preparing for a week of adverse weather as significant parts of the country are expected to be affected by snowfall, dangerous winds, and severe storms.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecasts very low temperatures across most of the country. Snowfall is expected in some areas of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Additionally, strong thunderstorms are possible over parts of Gauteng, Free State, North West, and the eastern interior, which could lead to localized flooding, hail, and destructive winds.

Consequently, authorities have closed the R617 road in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Local residents are prohibited from collecting snow, and drivers are advised to postpone their trips.

Several roads in KwaZulu-Natal have been closed due to heavy snowfall, including the R617 section near Kokstad, with traffic being diverted to the R56. Drivers are asked to refrain from traveling, and snow collection is forbidden.

Snow has also been reported on the Swartberg Pass in Little Karoo, between Oudtshoorn and Prince Albert in the Western Cape, and heavy snowfall between Graaff-Reinet and New Bethesda in the Great Karoo region of the Eastern Cape.

SAWS predicts that most of the country will face adverse weather conditions until Tuesday. The forecast includes heavy snowfall in the Eastern Cape, stormy seas along the KwaZulu-Natal coast, rainfall in parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as possible severe thunderstorms in southern Gauteng, North West, and Free State.

A cold front and an isolated cyclone are expected to bring very cold and windy weather, which may cause snowfall in mountainous areas, localized flooding, transport disruptions, and damage.