Inside Story

Why is it so hot?

The heatwave is setting new records and causing deaths and wildfires.

Temperatures in Europe are soaring close to their highest ever.

Forty-eight degrees Celsius is the current record, set in the Greek capital, Athens, back in 1977.

This weekend’s continental heatwave is expected to smash the all-time high.

Hot air from Africa’s baking Spain and Portugal in the Iberian Peninsula.

Record-breaking temperatures have been recorded in eight Portuguese towns – and there’s a widespread red alert for wildfires. In Spain, heat stroke killed at least three men.

Heatwave warnings have been issued in 41 of the 50 Spanish provinces where temperatures are expected to soar to 44 degrees.

The scorching temperatures show no sign of falling.

So, apart from climate change, what’s the cause?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Rob McElwee – Al Jazeera weather forecaster

Rowan Sutton – director of Climate Research at the UK National Centre for Atmospheric Science, University of Reading

Bjorn Lomborg – president, Copenhagen Consensus