The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Brutal heat dome moves east, with Central Europe sweltering

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Updated July 20, 2022 at 11:45 a.m. EDT|Published July 20, 2022 at 2:08 a.m. EDT
Firefighters in France, Spain, Greece and the U.K. battled to contain wildfires on July 19, while Portugal reported more than 1,000 heat-related deaths. (Video: Reuters)
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A heat wave that brought record temperatures to Britain and parts of France swelled over Central Europe on Wednesday, with scientists warning of “very high levels” of ozone pollution on the continent.

The toll from a heat dome that originated from a sprawling area of high pressure over Western Europe is rising, and Portugal alone has reported more than 1,000 deaths linked to the extreme weather. The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere on Wednesday issued an “orange” hot-weather warning, the maximum level.