UK, France bake in heat wave as 40 million face alert in US

The first big heat wave of 2025 has arrived, coinciding with the official start of summer.

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More than 40 million people in the US were under heat alerts on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures in the Midwest are expected to crest well into the 30°C this weekend. Triple-digit highs could pop up in New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Denver. The peak will likely hit the East Coast early next week.

Meanwhile, British and French authorities have issued health warnings related to hot weather this weekend as northern Europe bakes under an early summer heat wave. Temperatures are forecast to peak at 34°C in parts of eastern England on Saturday following a week of unusually warm weather, according to the Met Office, Britain's national weather agency. That’s about 12°C higher than normal for this time of year. It’s expected to be even hotter in France, where forecasters said temperatures are likely to reach 38 C (IOO F) in western and southern parts of the country.

The extreme heat is expected to intensify as it shifts to the East Coast early next week, with temperatures reaching the highest level on the NWS's HeatRisk tool: Level 4, or “Extreme.”

“Numerous daily record highs and warm lows are likely,” the NWS said. “Light winds, sunny days, and a lack of overnight cooling will significantly increase the danger.” The capital city Washington could see highs of 37°C on Monday.