The $30 million toe in the water

Forecasts from The Weather Channel predict that Spain, Portugal, and France will experience temperatures of up to 45°C, with Spain entering a three-month period of above-average temperatures across the entire country.

This comes after last month saw a scorching-hot 'heat dome' settling over Western Europe , producing temperatures 10 to 15 degrees Celsius above the average for May.

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) forecasts that Spain is entering a three-month period of above-average temperatures across the entire country, including the Balearic Islands, the Mediterranean, and Cantabrian coasts, the central and southwestern regions, and the Canary Islands.

Why 4,000 unsold units became the prize

Spain recorded 101 heat-related deaths in May, the highest number for the month since such records started being kept in 2015.

This figure is 3.6 times higher than the average number of heat-related deaths recorded in May over the past decade, the health ministry said in a statement, stressing 'the significant health impact of heat episodes, even before the start of summer.'

Overall, from 2015, when data collection began, up to the summer of 2025, the deaths of 27,564 people were 'attributable to high temperatures' in the country, the ministry said.

An echo of Sydney's 2024 institutional buy-up

Several countries in Europe recorded their hottest-ever May days this year as a heatwave smashed records across the continent.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is amplifying extremes, with weather events like heatwaves, droughts, and floods becoming more intense and frequent.

The United Nations weather agency forecast on Tuesday a moderate or possibly a strong El Nino that could drive up global temperatures and increase the risk of extreme weather over the coming months .

Who is the unnamed buyer?

Dr. Güven Özdemir, a meteorologist, told Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, 'There's a high probability that temperature records will be broken again this summer.'

'Temperatures in Southeastern Anatolia and the Mediterranean region could exceed 40°C,' he said.

'This won't always be the case; there might be a few days of cooling, followed by intense heat, exacerbated by hot air masses from Africa or Arabia.'

Tehran's two-track response

The WMO said warm ocean waters were driving El Nino's development and predicted above-average temperatures in most parts of the world from June to August.

The WMO said it is likely El Nino will continue until November.

'We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Nino event - which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean,' said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.