What’s making this heatwave so uncomfortable - especially at night

 Western Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave in June, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in many areas, significantly earlier than the traditional summer months.

The extreme conditions are breaking numerous temperature records across the continent, including the UK's highest June minimum temperature of 23.5°C in Cardiff and its hottest June day at 36.1°C in Gosport.

France has been particularly affected, with three-quarters of the country under a red alert and the national thermal indicator reaching an all-time high of 30°C, with forecasts predicting 40-42°C.

Other nations are also facing record-breaking heat, such as Germany equalling its warmest night at 26.2°C and Spain recording an all-time high of 43.7°C in the normally cooler Cantabrian region.

What's making this particular heat wave so uncomfortable is the scale of the humidity, which inhibits the body's natural cooling via sweat. That is a particular problem at night, especially in those countries where air conditioning is not really a thing, such as the U.K.