Publication Date May 7, 2015 | Met Office

The heatwave of 2003

France
A man cools himself down. Photo: Rex Features
A man cools himself down. Photo: Rex Features

More than 20,000 people died after a record-breaking heatwave left Europe sweltering in August 2003. The period of extreme heat is thought to be the warmest for up to 500 years, and many European countries experienced their highest temperatures on record...Summers as hot as 2003 could happen every other year by the year 2050 as a result of climate change due to human activities.