Forecaster’s ‘alarming’ 2050 heatwave prediction comes true in 2022

France and other parts of Europe are experiencing intense temperatures

A weather forecaster who warned of high temperatures across France in 2050 due to the climate crisis has seen her predictions come true in 2022.

French weather presenter, Évelyne Dhéliat, predicted in 2014 that temperatures would reach up to 43C in August due to global warning.

However, the country is set to see happen this weekend, 28 years earlier than predicted and in the typically cooler month of June.

France is experiencing a profound heatwave and has just observed it’s earliest recording of 40C weather in history, with cities such as Nantes and Tours set to reach highs of 43C on Saturday.

In Paris, Saturday could become the hottest June day yet with forecasters predicting highs between 38 and 39C, which would break the French capital’s previous June heat record set in 1947.

This is the second heatwave seen in France this year, with temperatures hitting highs not usually experienced until July or August.

The French state forecaster, Météo France, said the heat was being influenced by an Atlantic low-pressure system between the Azores islands and Madeira, causing warm air in western Europe.

The last time France experienced an intense heatwave was in 2019, when temperatures in Paris saw a record high of 42.6C in July. According to the French Ministry of Health, 567 people died during the heatwave between June 24 and July 7 that year, and a second heatwave that summer claimed another 868 lives.

Other parts of Europe such as Spain are also experiencing intense heatwaves, with cities in southern Spain such as Seville and Córdoba seeing highs of 43C.

Others cities including Madrid and Barcelona are also facing heat warnings, with temperatures in the late 30C and early 40C.

Last year, Spain had its hottest and driest on record, with temperatures hitting an all-time high of 47C in Córdoba.