People in India are reeling under heatwave conditions, which, with each passing year, is becoming worse. What's at the centre of the discussion is climate change. The problem is not only limited to India or the subcontinent but also Western Europe, which has traditionally remained cooler due to its geographic location.

France and the United Kingdom registered their hottest May temperature on Monday as an intense heatwave gripped the continent.

The unusual weather pattern is a result of a heat dome which carries warm air from Northern Africa across the western part of the continent.

Scientists and environmentalists have warned that the continent is rapidly becoming warmer in comparison to the global average due to climate change. This change is making heatwaves more frequent.

7 die in France

In France, seven people had died in recent days due to circumstances directly or indirectly linked to the current heatwave, said Junior Energy Minister Maud Bregeon.

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He added that five of the seven died of drowning in lakes, rivers or on beaches. The country has been experiencing more than normal temperatures since Saturday.

The weather agency Meteo-France said that the hot spell was expected to continue until at least the end of the week. It also issued an orange alert for a heatwave, the second-highest warning level.

UK sizzles

In the UK, the temperature has risen significantly, bringing unprecedented May heat. According to the country's Met Office, the temperature shot to 34.8 degrees Celsius at Kew Gardens in southwest London. It is two notches higher than the previous May record.

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In a post on X, it said, "This heat would be exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone May".

Last week, climate advisers warned that the UK was "built for a climate that no longer exists." They requested the government to adapt infrastructure like schools and hospitals to align with changing weather patterns so as to withstand increasingly hot temperatures.