Europe's April temperatures are at its highest on record ever amid an intense heatwave, according to AccuWeather forecasters.
The latest recordings were comparable to the deadly heatwave in the content in August 2022.
Reports showed that temperatures over the past week soared beyond its historical average and all-time monthly highs in multiple countries.
Almost a year ago, Europe plunged into chaos during a massive heatwave which brought high temperatures, triggered widespread wildfires, and caused the deaths of multiple people, including in France, Spain, and Portugal.
The heat dome also covered a wide portion of the continent, spanning from Paris to London.
In the United Kingdom, a special heatwave alert was issued by local authorities.
Prior to the 2022 European heatwave, climate scientists have been giving warnings about the increased intensification and frequency of extreme weather events, including extreme heat or prolonged excessive hot weather.
The recurring theme of the current climate crisis revolves around trapped heat in the atmosphere that warms the planet, mainly caused by greenhouse gas and fossil fuel emissions.
Hottest April on Record
Beach-goers bathe as the weather is warm at the "Grande Plage" in Biarritz, southwestern France, on April 28, 2023, amid an exceptionally high and early heatwave in neighbouring Spain.
Extreme hot temperatures were recorded across Portugal and Spain, as well as in Morocco in North Africa, where temperatures have exceeded by 6 to 14 degrees Celsius (10 to 25 degrees Fahrenheit) above their historical average by the end of April, according to AccuWeather.
The hottest April on record evidently involved a hot weather that intensified last week, with dozens of record highs from Tuesday to Friday, April 25 to April 28.
In Spain, the city of Cordoba, located in the southernmost part of the country, reached a massive 38.8 degrees Celsius (101.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
The city has beaten its previous hottest April record of 38.6 degrees Celsius (101.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
In Portugal, the municipality of Mora had its temperatures spiked to 36.9 degrees Celsius (98.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
It broke its previous record for April since 1945 placing at 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit).
Climate Change and Heatwaves
Dubbed as the "spring heatwave" which struck southern Europe last month, questions have been raised as to whether or not the 'Spanish heatwave' and climate change is behind the record-breaking heat in Europe, according to the magazine website New Scientist.
As mentioned earlier, scientists have linked climate change and extreme heat due to the phenomenon called the greenhouse effect, wherein trapped greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, accelerate the warming of the planet.
This trend is evident based on data seen in previous decades.
Between the 1960s and 2020s, the average heatwave across 50 cities in the United States have increased dramatically in terms of frequency, duration, season, and intensity, confirming long-held evidence that heatwaves have become stronger over time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).
According to experts, there is no fixed duration for a certain heat wave.
However, one can identify such extreme heat if temperatures are unusual from their local average records in a prolonged period.
Related Article: Experts Found Climate Crisis Causes Unusual Warmer Temperatures in the UK and Europe This October