Satellite captures extreme surface heat across Europe during May heatwave

Europe is gripped by a heatwave, with air temperatures breaking May records across multiple countries. The UK recorded 35°C this week, which is 2°C above its previous May record. Ireland's temperature also rose more than a degree above its May high, while Budapest reached a new record of 32.2°C, according to Hungary's weather service HungaroMet. Italy, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland have all registered unusually hot air temperatures.

A satellite image captured on Tuesday 26 May reveals just how hot the land itself has become. Daytime land surface temperatures shown in the image are considerably higher than the air temperatures people experience. Surfaces like rock and soil absorb and retain heat, causing the ground to warm far more than the air above it.

The European Space Agency's Copernicus Sentinel-3 satellite took the image. The satellite's radiometer collects data over both land and sea. Over land, Sentinel-3 monitors surface temperatures and can track wildfires, map land use, assess vegetation health, and measure the height of rivers and lakes.

During summer months, the gap between daytime land surface temperatures and air temperature grows even wider. The current heatwave, which feels more like midsummer than late spring, demonstrates how surface temperatures can spike when weather systems push warm air across the continent for extended periods.