Western Europe gripped by historic heat dome exceeding 40°C

France, Italy, and Spain are experiencing unprecedented May heat waves with temperatures sometimes exceeding 40°C due to a rare 'heat dome' effect, Le Figaro reports. The extreme temperatures are causing widespread infrastructure paralysis across the region, with France's SNCF rail network facing immobilized TGVs and mass cancellations, while schools are closing due to uninhabitable conditions—marking one of the most severe heat crises to strike Western Europe this early in the year.