Heat Dome Sends European Power Prices Soaring
An intense heat wave continues to bake France and parts of Europe, with temperatures surging well above the 30-year average for this time of year.
Welcome to summer.
They think we are stupid, that our memories cannot stretch back to when life was normal, and when our lives were not based on fear...
— 🇨🇭🏴InLucysHead🏴🇨🇭© (@InsideLucysHead) June 24, 2026
Summer, it gets hot, Winter it gets cold...
It's NORMAL. https://t.co/hYHvZ3dI2w
In France, the average daily temperature reached 85.6F on Tuesday, according to Météo-France, while Pissos in southwest France hit 111.7F.
The heat dome parked over Western Europe is set to fade by the end of the week, but temperatures will remain well above the 30-year seasonal average.
French evening power prices on Tuesday soared to their highest level since the 2022 energy crisis, while German power prices hit two-year highs. In Belgium, peak-hour power prices for Wednesday evening jumped to 933.28 euros per megawatt-hour on EPEX Spot.
French grid operator RTE is preparing for possible heat-related disruptions, including de-energizing power lines.
The heat is also straining climate-friendly power grids because of low wind generation, while heat-related restrictions at French nuclear plants have created a perfect storm of tight power supply just as millions of residential and commercial buildings crank up their air conditioning.
Red heat warnings have also been issued across Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and the UK through Thursday.
Bloomberg noted, "France is at the epicenter of this month’s heat wave, as a high-pressure heat dome is reinforced by atmospheric shifts linked to a developing El Niño."
Latest El Niño coverage:
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Meanwhile, it's quite nice in Washington, DC, right now, with average temperatures holding below 30-year averages.
When Democrats are not ramming through radical de-growth climate bills, their climate propaganda machine goes quiet.