Record-breaking heat is affecting parts of Europe, the western United States and Asia, with dangerous temperatures, wildfires and unusually hot nights intensifying the risks. The article says the conditions result from a combination of natural weather patterns, including El Niño and heat domes, and human-driven climate change, which has warmed the atmosphere and oceans.

Western Europe recorded its hottest June, while France faced severe heat and fires; Phoenix was forecast to reach 46°C and remain close to 38°C overnight. Scientists attribute persistent heat partly to a wavier jet stream and exceptionally warm seas, which supply additional heat; one analysis found June’s European heatwave, linked to over 1,000 deaths, would have been impossible without fossil-fuel-driven warming.